2026 World Cup: De Ketelaere Named Man of the Match in Belgium vs. USA
The Belgian national team confidently advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup, crushing the United States 4–1. Charles De Ketelaere was named the best player of the Round of 16 match and emerged as the hero of the game.
The 25-year-old midfielder scored twice, finding the back of the net in the 9th and 33rd minutes of the match.
It was his productive performance that helped the Belgians secure a convincing victory and continue their quest for the World Cup title.
For De Ketelaere, these were his first goals since the end of the group stage. Overall, at the 2026 World Cup, the player has appeared in four matches, scoring two goals and recording one assist. He recorded all three of these contributions in the match against the U.S. national team.
Following the victory over the Americans, Belgium continues its run at the 2026 World Cup, and Charles De Ketelaere has reaffirmed his status as one of the team’s key players in the tournament.
Charles De Ketelaere was born on March 10, 2001, in Bruges, Belgium. A product of the Club Brugge academy, he won the Belgian championship three times with the club. In 2022, he transferred to AC Milan, and after a season on loan, he became a full-fledged player for Italy’s Atalanta, where he plays as an attacking midfielder and forward.
As a member of Atalanta, he won the 2023–24 UEFA Europa League. He made his debut for the Belgian national team in 2020 and has gradually become one of the team’s key players.
The Belgian national team became the last team to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup, securing a convincing victory over the tournament hosts, the U.S. national team. In the round of 16, the Belgians defeated the Americans 4–1, putting on one of their best performances of this World Cup.
As a reminder, the Spanish national team became the next quarterfinalist of the 2026 World Cup, narrowly defeating Portugal 1–0 in a highly anticipated Iberian derby.
The Belgian Football Association announced its intention to appeal FIFA’s decision allowing forward Folarin Balogun to play in the World Cup.
