Belgium vs United States World Cup 2014: 'Yes they can!' Barack Obama tweets his support for Team USA

The US faced Belgium in the last 16 for a place in the quarter-finals

US President Barack Obama and Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett (left) watch the 2014 World Cup match between the US and Germany while en route to Minnepolis (Getty Images)

Just eight minutes before the start of one of the biggest matches in the history of United States soccer, the team received a message of support from their biggest fan, who also happens to be the Leader of the Free World, President Barack Obama.

From watching USA v Germany on Air Force One, to starting a speech in Memphis recently by congratulating the team for reaching the second round, World Cup fever truly has truly gripped the President.

Obama even said earlier this week that he believed USA could go all the way and "defy the odds" to win the tournament in Brazil.

Of course, this is not Obama's first foray into the realms of football, here he is having a kickabout with a robot in Japan.

The furthest the US have ever got in a World Cup is the quarter-final in 2002, a feat they were unable to match after their defeat to Belgium.

Unfortunately for the President, his belief proved in vain as a thrilling second round encounter saw Belgium run out eventual 2-1 winners. Having conceded goals in extra-time to Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, Julian Green's close-range volley gave the US - and many of the neutrals watching on the edge of their seat - hope that a comeback for Team USA was on.

And they had chances too, with Clint Dempsey seeing a shot from a brilliantly worked free-kick saved by Thibault Courtois in the dying minutes, but in the end it was the so-called World Cup 'dark horses' who maintained their 100 per cent record in the tournament to reach the quarter-finals.