Balogun and U.S.-Belgium match, Ronaldo bows out

The U.S. crashed out of the World Cup round of 16 on Monday, losing 4-1 to a spirited Belgium side in a match that was marred by controversy before kick-off.

Belgium took an early lead in the 9th minute via Charles De Ketelaere, but the joint hosts equalized half an hour into the game, with Malik Tillman hammering home.

But the stalemate only lasted for two minutes, with De Ketelaere scoring again to restore Belgium’s lead.

The European side then notched up a third goal from Hans Vanaken just before the hour mark, before Romelu Lukaku wrapped up the victory with a late strike in injury time.

The match was initially overshadowed by FIFA’s decision to suspend U.S. striker Folarin Balogun’s one-match red-card ban, paving the way for the team’s leading scorer to play.

The ruling has drawn added attention after President Donald Trump defended his call urging FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review Balogun’s red card, fueling questions over whether political pressure played a role in the decision.

Balogun was initially sent off during the United States’ 2-0 Round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, but FIFA overturned the decision. Belgium challenged that, but FIFA dismissed the protest as inadmissible while UEFA criticized the ruling as “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.”

Separately, Cristiano Ronaldo’s hopes of lifting the World Cup came to an end after Portugal suffered a 1-0 defeat to Spain, as Mikel Merino struck late to send his country into the quarterfinals.