While the United States Men’s National Team went into Monday’s Round of 16 game feeling more confident knowing they’d have Folarin Balogun on the field, unfortunately, their performance didn’t reflect that.
Sloppy plays, including an inability to make strong passes or defend against Belgium’s attack, proved costly, as the opposing team received a goal from Charles De Ketelaere nine minutes into the game to take a 1-0 lead. While Malik Tillman responded with a game-tying free kick to restore faith in the USMNT, it was short-lived.
De Ketelaere answered at the 33-minute mark to once again give Belgium a 2-1 lead. And things fell apart further in the second half. USMNT goalkeeper Matt Freese made a critical error in trying to retrieve the ball as he was too far from the goal to defend, and his foot caught on the ground, which allowed a Hans Vanaken kick to zip past him, extending Belgium’s lead to 3-1.
Christian Pulisic was also hobbled in the second half and was down on the field for a lengthy time before the referee stopped play to check on him. While Pulisic kept playing afterward, he was clearly limping around and moving slowly on the field, forcing head coach Mauricio Pochettino to send in a substitute.
A Fox Sports video clip showed Pulisic once he was subbed off and on the bench, looking frustrated and upset over how his team’s 2026 World Cup run seemed to be closer to its end.
Pulisic’s performance on the field was already going horribly, and many fans sounded off in the X comments about how the star player had an underwhelming, injury-plagued World Cup.
“as the best player for America he hasn’t done anything this whole game like genuinely this game was so disappointing and embarrassing for America,” one commenter wrote.
Another commenter wrote, “As someone who doesnt watch European soccer… Is he some all star there? Because he’s been dreadful every game. Completely useless.”
“Go make some more commercials, embarassing performance this tournament,” someone commented on Fox Sports’ post.
“The fact he’s considered one of if not our best player tells me all I need to know,” and “Most over rated player on the US team. He shows little flashes here and there but he has the body of a potato chip.”
He finished this 2026 World Cup with one assist and no goals, despite being a constant talking point for the USMNT’s chances of getting far. Meanwhile, teammate Folarin Balogun became the team’s top scorer and received much more attention throughout their run.
Pulisic’s World Cup included him suffering a calf injury in the group matches that sidelined him for his team’s game against Australia. The USMNT won 2-0 without him in the lineup, and he ultimately returned as a second-half substitute against Turkiye after the USMNT had already qualified.
Pulisic’s return gave some encouragement for his next appearance in the Knockout Round, and he was on the field that game, which featured goals by several teammates.
While the USMNT defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Round of 32 matchup, they couldn’t contend with one of the world’s top 10 teams in soccer. Belgium capitalized on any and every USMNT mistake, ultimately claiming a 4-1 win to eliminate the final remaining host country of the three for this year’s World Cup.
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