Team USA’s World Cup journey came to an end with a 4-1 loss to Belgium in the Round of 16, leaving fans in Orlando disappointed but proud of their team’s efforts. Fans had gathered at Sports and Social at Pointe Orlando to cheer on the team, with excitement running high before the match.

Local Fans Share Their Thoughts

Austin Rades, a USA fan, expressed his enthusiasm before the match, saying, “I’m super grateful we made it this far. We’re going to take over. We’re going to beat Belgium. Go USA!” Another fan, Vinicius Gonzaga, shared his enthusiasm, saying, “USA is my home. This is the best World Cup ever in the world. U.S. is going to make history this year.”

Despite the team’s efforts, Belgium’s victory left fans like Danny Nunez disappointed. “I was disappointed, I’m not going to lie. I had high expectations. I thought the U.S. was going to win. I was excited. I even called out of work,” Nunez said. Eddie Johnson, a former U.S. Men’s National Team player, also shared his thoughts on the team’s performance, saying, “They got a lot of unity, brotherhood; it’s a special group. I followed them ever since I retired. I’m like a big brother to a lot of them, but they know the stakes of this game. They know how much it means not only to the country but to soccer in this country.”

The event was part of the World Cup 2026 Soccer Celebration hosted by Orlando City and Orlando Pride at Pointe Orlando, which runs until July 19. Brittany Graham, director of marketing for Live at the Pointe Orlando, said, “I think we’ve seen anywhere on the low end 2,000, the high end 20,000, and it is just, it’s exciting to watch.” The next major celebration at Pointe Orlando for the FIFA World Cup 2026 will take place on Sunday, July 19, 2026, the day of the World Cup Final.

Original reporting: WESH Orlando — read the source article.