Charles De Ketelaere silences critics with World Cup double

Charles De Ketelaere scored his first World Cup goals at the ideal moment, guiding Belgium to victory over the United States. The AC Milan attacker, deployed as a striker, responded to recent criticism with a two-goal display that underlined Rudi Garcia’s faith in him. De Ketelaere had faced doubts in recent weeks over his suitability in the false-nine role, especially as Romelu Lukaku remained below full fitness. Yet against the United States, he proved his worth with two clinical finishes, showing why Garcia persisted with him up front despite the positional unfamiliarity. After the match, De Ketelaere described it as the finest performance of his international career. “This is certainly my best game with the national team. I had never scored in a World Cup knockout match before. It’s an incredible feeling to deliver such a performance in such an important game,” he said. He became only the third Belgian to score a World Cup knockout double, a milestone he admitted came as a surprise. “I didn’t know that. It’s nice to hear I’ve achieved something so special. This match gives us and the team a huge boost of positive energy. We approach the quarter-final with a lot of confidence.”

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The Belgian forward acknowledged hearing criticism about his striker role but refused to let it affect him. “Of course you hear it. But I don’t let it dictate my emotions. Against New Zealand I think I played very well without scoring. And then you get negative reactions. I’ve experienced this many times in my career. That’s football.” His second goal, a poacher’s finish, highlighted his growing comfort in the penalty area. “I think I can do it. I’ve scored with my head before. The only thing I sometimes need to work on as a striker is staying in the box more often. I tend to drop off because I like having the ball at my feet, but then someone’s missing in the box. Today, these two goals show I can do that too,” he said. Discussion around Folarin Balogun’s potential inclusion did not disrupt his focus either. “We may have spoken about it as a team for five minutes, no more. Motivation for a game like this comes from within. For us, it wasn’t about Balogun as a player, but the ethical side of the story. On the pitch, it made no difference at all.”

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Belgium now face Spain in the quarter-finals on Friday. De Ketelaere remains upbeat about their chances. “We haven’t achieved anything yet. Spain is a great football nation and we’ll need to be at our best. But if we reach our top level, I believe we can trouble them too,” he concluded. Walfoot’s newsletter offers the latest updates and analysis from Belgian football.