Belgium delivered a crushing 4-1 victory over the USA in a FIFA World Cup round-of-16 clash, ending the Americans' hopes of reaching their first World Cup quarter-final in 24 years.

The match, held at Seattle's Lumen Field, saw Belgium's Charles De Ketelaere score twice, Hans Vanaken capitalize on a US goalkeeper error, and Romelu Lukaku seal the win with a stoppage-time goal.

The result marked a bitter end to the USA's campaign, which had been overshadowed by controversy over US striker Folarin Balogun's inclusion in the squad despite a suspended ban.

Balogun, named in the starting XI after FIFA reversed a one-game suspension at the urging of former US President Donald Trump, had little impact during the match.Belgium's dominance was evident from the outset, with De Ketelaere opening the scoring in the 9th minute.

Despite a late equalizer from Malik Tillman, Belgium's relentless attack proved too much for the USA, who faced further turmoil after FIFA's controversial decision to reinstate Balogun just hours before the match.

The win sets up a quarter-final showdown between Belgium and Spain, who advanced via a 1-0 victory over Portugal in a match that marked Cristiano Ronaldo's final World Cup appearance.Spain's Mikel Merino secured the win in stoppage time, ending Ronaldo's storied career at the tournament.

The defeat was a painful conclusion to Portugal's campaign, with Ronaldo, the all-time leading scorer in men's international football, expressing his intention to reflect on his future after the match.