The Belgium national team routed the United States 4–1 in the World Cup 2026 Round of 16. That same night in Seattle saw three shootings, with six people injured.
Belgium knocks the U.S. out of the World Cup: 4–1 defeat in Seattle
Belgium delivered a convincing 4–1 victory over the United States in the Round of 16 match of the 2026 World Cup, played in Seattle. The game ended the Americans’ run at the tournament, preventing them from reaching the quarterfinals for the first time in 24 years. From the opening minutes, the Belgians put intense pressure on the home team’s defense, and on the ninth minute, Charles De Ketelaere opened the scoring. After the hydration break, the Americans managed to level the match, as Malik Tillman scored from a free kick, benefiting from a deflection off the head of a Belgian defender. But the home crowd’s joy was short-lived—just two minutes later, De Ketelaere put Belgium ahead again, heading the ball into the top corner. U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino was furious and slammed the water bottle area near the bench, sending bottles flying.
In the second half, Belgium continued to attack, and on 56 minutes Hans Vanaken increased the advantage, capitalizing on a mistake by goalkeeper Matt Freese, who had come too far away from his goal. The U.S. star forward Christian Pulisic was substituted due to injury, and the team still couldn’t create truly dangerous moments. Phalarin Balogun, the U.S.’s leading scorer at the tournament, served his red-card suspension and returned to the field, but his efforts were easily repelled by the experienced goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. The most dangerous moment came on 82 minutes, when Courtois saved a left-footed shot by Balogun. In stoppage time, Belgium scored their fourth goal, effectively ending any hopes the Americans had left.
After the match, U.S. captain Tim Ream said he couldn’t analyze the game until the emotions had settled. “There are too many different thoughts and feelings—I’m not even thinking about tactics or what could have been done differently. It will take a few days before I can look at it calmly,” he said. Tyler Adams summed it up succinctly: “Today was not our day.” Defender Chris Richards added, “I’m extremely disappointed with how it turned out—especially for me personally. It’s just been that kind of day.”
For the U.S., the loss marked the 11th defeat in their last 12 matches against European opponents (their only win came against Bosnia and Herzegovina). The team hasn’t reached the quarterfinals since 2002, when they lost to Germany. Notably, Belgium eliminated the Americans at the same stage in 2014 as well. Now the Belgians will face Spain in Inglewood, California, and the winner will play in the semifinal against France or Morocco.
Despite the overall setback, Balogun, playing in his first World Cup, became the first American since 1930 to score two goals in a single World Cup match. He has three goals in total—matching Landon Donovan’s tally in 2010 (the second-highest total in U.S. men’s World Cup history). The record for four goals still belongs to Bert Patenaude, set at the first World Cup in 1930.
As CBS News notes, a promising generation led by Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Adams has only partly managed to elevate the status of soccer in the United States to the level of the NFL, NBA, and MLB.
Three shootings in one night in Seattle: at least six injured
The night from Sunday to Monday was extremely worrying for Seattle’s southern neighborhoods: three separate shooting incidents occurred at once, leaving at least six people injured. Seattle police consider each of these incidents separately, but all of them took place within a few hours and in close proximity to each other. According to KIRO 7, the first call came in at about 10 p.m., when an unknown person opened fire on a Metro shuttle bus in the SODO area (South Downtown). The neighborhood is just a few minutes’ walk from Lumen Field Stadium—the venue where the women’s World Cup final was held. Police say the shooting began after a tall Black man wearing glasses, a white shirt, and black jeans suspected that someone on the bus had stolen his belongings. He got off at a stop on South Lander Street and fired into the back of the bus. As a result, a 39-year-old man received three gunshot wounds to his back—he remained on the bus until medics arrived and was taken to Harbourview Hospital in critical but stable condition.
Just a few hours later, around 1:30 a.m., officers were already responding to another shooting report—this time in Georgetown, on Swift Avenue. There, according to authorities, a party was happening at a private home. When officers arrived, they found a chaotic scene: some people were running, while others tried to help the injured. Police found three victims inside the house, and a fourth was later taken to the hospital by friends. All four were teenagers and young people aged 16, 17, and 18. They are being treated for gunshot wounds; the severity has not been reported yet. Detectives are currently questioning witnesses and reviewing camera footage to determine the cause of the conflict.
The third incident occurred in the morning on South Walker Street in the Atlantic area. There, a 34-year-old man was found with injuries to his shoulder, abdomen, and lower back. Police say that inside a nearby tent, he and his companion got into an argument with an unknown person—an area known for many illegal temporary shelters for homeless people. After a verbal exchange, shots were fired. The injured man was taken to Harbourview Hospital as well, where he was reported to be in critical condition.
All three cases are linked not only by the short time span, but also by the fact that the shootings occurred in busy locations—or right next to them. In the first case, public-transport passengers were threatened; in the second, teenagers who had gathered for a party; and in the third, people in a vulnerable situation. Seattle police are asking anyone with information to call the hotline for investigations into violent crimes. It’s worth noting that despite the unprecedented attention the city has received due to hosting the World Cup, incidents like these show that there remains a problem with gun control and rising crime in certain neighborhoods. No shooter has been arrested so far.
Three shootings in Seattle: six people injured in one night
Last night in Seattle was unsettling: police recorded three separate shooting incidents in the city’s southern neighborhoods, leaving six people injured. Information about suspects is still unavailable—no one has been arrested. The first shots were heard shortly before 11 p.m. on Sunday on S. Lander Street in the SODO area—an industrial area south of downtown. One man was wounded and taken to the hospital. According to KIRO 7, the shooting happened near a King County Metro bus, not far from Lumen Field Stadium, where Monday was set to host the women’s World Cup final. Police have no description of the shooter.
Several hours later, around 1:30 a.m., a second incident took place—this time on Swift Avenue S. in the South Beacon Hill area. Four people were injured there at once. As reported by Seattle police (SPD), no suspects were arrested in that case either. The third shooting occurred early in the morning on S. Walker Street in the Atlantic area. When officers arrived, they found one victim. Again—no description or trace of the suspect.
All three neighborhoods—SODO, Beacon Hill, and Atlantic—are located in the southern part of Seattle and are traditionally considered less well-off in terms of street crime. The fact that there are no suspects across all episodes raises questions: police are clearly facing either a reluctance among witnesses to provide statements or a lack of actionable information. Of particular concern is the fact that the first shooting happened near Lumen Field Stadium, where a world-class match was taking place the next day—incidents like this undermine the city’s image as a safe place for major sports events. Authorities have not yet made any official statements about whether the three attacks may be connected, but it is reasonable to assume it could be the result of street gang activity or disputes unrelated to large events. Details of the incidents are provided in a report by MyNorthwest.com citing KIRO 7. Police ask anyone with information to contact the Violent Crimes Unit.
