World Cup 2026: Mauricio Pochettino admits Belgium were better after USA exit

SEATTLE: United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino admitted Belgium were the better side after his team's FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign came to an end with a heavy 4-1 defeat in the Round of 16 at Seattle Stadium on Monday.

The loss also confirmed the elimination of all three tournament co-hosts, following the exits of Canada and Mexico earlier in the knockout stage. Belgium progressed to the quarter-finals, where they will face Spain.

Speaking after the match, Pochettino acknowledged that his side failed to reproduce the performances that had carried them into the last 16 and insisted there would be important lessons to learn from the disappointing display.

"It was really tough from the beginning. We congratulate Belgium, they were better than us. It wasn't our day. We need to learn, we need to assess the game and understand why we did not approach the game in the same way we did as we did in the rest of the World Cup," Pochettino said.

Belgium dominated from the outset, with Charles De Ketelaere opening the scoring before Malik Tillman briefly restored parity for the United States with a deflected free-kick.

However, Belgium responded just 56 seconds later as De Ketelaere grabbed his second goal of the evening.

Hans Vanaken extended Belgium's advantage in the second half after capitalising on a defensive mistake, while substitute Romelu Lukaku added a fourth goal deep into stoppage time to complete an emphatic victory.

Pochettino's side, who had impressed during the group stage and overcame Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32, struggled to match Belgium's intensity and attacking quality throughout the contest.