CORNERFLICK
Belgium booked their place in the quarter-finals in emphatic fashion after cruising to a 4-1 victory over the United States in the Round of 16.
Following the commanding win, Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois delivered a pointed response to his team's critics.
Speaking to Belgian newspaper HLN, Courtois said: "There was a lot of disrespect toward us because they were saying over there in the United States that Belgium are no longer the team they used to be.
"They thought they were in for an easy game, but we proved them wrong. Comparing this match to the Egypt-Iran game makes no sense at all. We controlled the game from the very beginning and created plenty of chances. Our objective was to reach the next round, and after the United States scored, we didn't allow them another real opportunity."
The Real Madrid goalkeeper also addressed the controversy surrounding United States forward Folarin Balogun's involvement after his red card was overturned.
"I read some of the comments and they made me laugh. To be honest, I was even more confident about beating the United States than I was before the Senegal game in the previous round, because Senegal are a better team than the United States."
Looking ahead to Belgium's quarter-final showdown with Spain, Courtois added: "Spain is my second home. My son, Nicolás, will be supporting Belgium no matter what—otherwise he won't be allowed back into the house!" he joked. "Whatever happens from here on, we've already done well."