Belgium advances to World Cup semifinals after 4-1 win over United States

Belgium beat the United States 4-1 on Monday at Seattle's Lumen Field, moving on to the World Cup quarter-finals and extending its unbeaten streak to 18 games. The victory came after FIFA lifted a one-match suspension for U.S. forward Folarin Balogun, a decision that Belgian midfielder Nicolas Raskin called "not fair" and said gave his team extra motivation. > "There's always a justice somewhere in life," Raskin said.

Belgium captain Youri Tielemans highlighted the team's defensive compactness and pressure, adding that the side scored at the right moments. > "We put in a lot of intensity, there was quality too," he said.

Charles De Ketelaere scored twice, describing the performance as his best for the Red Devils, while Hans Vanaken added a third goal. Romelu Lukaku completed the tally with a fourth. The four goals marked the most the United States had conceded in a World Cup match since 1990.

The Red Devils had previously needed a comeback win over Senegal to reach the round of 16 and had drawn with Iran and Egypt in the group stage. Midfielder Dodi Lukébakio noted the team could have performed better in the group phase but said confidence had grown. > "We are showing our quality, definitely," he said.

Belgium will face Spain in the next round, though they will be without midfielder Amadou Onana, who suffered a serious injury early in the match. Coach Rudi Garcia described the injury as a significant setback for the team.

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said he had read the pre-match controversy and remained confident in Belgium's ability to win, noting that Senegal would have posed a tougher challenge than the United States.