Belgium and Spain secured impressive victories in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 to book their places in the quarter-finals, while hosts the United States and Portugal were knocked out of the tournament.
Belgium Thrash USA 4-1 to Advance
Belgium produced a dominant display against the United States in Seattle, taking control of the match from the opening minutes.
Charles De Ketelaere scored twice and also provided an assist, while Hans Vanaken added Belgium’s third goal. Romelu Lukaku sealed the victory with a fourth goal in extra time.
The United States briefly equalized through Malik Tillman, who converted a superb free-kick, but Belgium quickly regained the lead and never looked back.
With the convincing 4-1 victory, Belgium advanced to the quarter-finals, where they will face Spain. The defeat brought an end to the host nation’s World Cup campaign despite FIFA’s decision to overturn the suspension of U.S. striker Folarin Balogun before the match.
Spain Edge Portugal 1-0
Spain defeated Portugal 1-0 in a closely contested Round of 16 encounter in Dallas to secure a place in the last eight.
Both teams struggled to create clear scoring opportunities in the first half. Spain gradually took control after the break, and Mikel Merino scored the decisive goal in the 90th minute with a clinical finish.
Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, pushed for an equalizer during stoppage time, but Spain’s disciplined defense held firm to send the former champions into the quarter-finals.
Current Knockout Stage
The teams that have already qualified for the quarter-finals are:
- France
- Morocco
- Norway
- England
- Spain
- Belgium
The remaining two quarter-final spots will be decided after the Argentina vs Egypt and Switzerland vs Colombia Round of 16 matches.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Current Standings
The group stage has concluded, so the traditional points table is no longer in effect. The tournament is now in the knockout phase.
Teams through to the quarter-finals:
France, Morocco, Norway, England, Spain and Belgium.
Teams eliminated from the tournament:
United States, Portugal, Brazil, Mexico, Canada and Paraguay.
One of the headline quarter-final fixtures will see Spain take on Belgium, while France will face Morocco as the race for the FIFA World Cup 2026 title continues.
