President Trump welcomed FIFA’s ruling in the Oval Office on Monday, acknowledging that he had spoken to Gianni Infantino before the suspension was finalized. Belgium were furious, demanding explanations and threatening action, but as the humiliation continued, Trump was caught on camera boarding a plane and responded with both a goal and a celebration on the pitch.
Belgian forward Charles de Ketelaère scored two goals in the first half, sandwiching free kicks from Malik Tillman of the United States. Hans Vanaken then scored a goal into an empty goal, extending Belgium’s advantage to 3-1 at the start of the second half. Romelu Lukaku then added a fourth late on, celebrating in true Trump style.
This was a further insult as the whole President Trump and Balogun controversy seemed to have overshadowed the scene before kickoff. Belgium had prepared for the Round of 16 encounter in anticipation of Balogun’s exclusion until FIFA reversed the delay.
The decision, which resulted in Balogun being shown a straight red card in the Round of 32, was divisive, but FIFA’s agreement to revoke his suspension was also controversial. Infantino’s relationship with Trump has been a source of concern, raising questions about his sincerity.
Mr Infantino issued a statement on the matter, while Belgium sought to contest Mr Balogun’s eligibility. FIFA deemed the challenge “unacceptable”, but Belgium asked for an explanation.
Belgium have since warned of Balogun’s availability for Monday’s game, with the US striker named in the starting XI. “This allows us to take any further action,” the Royal Belgian Football Association said.
“To date, the RBFA has not yet received the basis for this decision, nor has it received the information it has requested since the beginning of this process.”
Beyond the full-time celebration, the official Belgian soccer account sent out another pointed message for FIFA and the USMNT. “Turn this around,” the account posted along with an image of the final score of 4-2.
Belgium will play Spain in the World Cup quarter-finals, with the winner facing either France or Morocco. The USA was eliminated in the round of 16, reenacting the 2022 season when they lost 3-1 to the Netherlands.
American head coach Mauricio Pochettino was keen to lead the hosts into a long run, with a place in the semi-finals being the unofficial goal. Pochettino’s contract expires this summer, but what lies ahead remains to be determined.
“If the federation wants to talk, we can start discussions in the next few weeks,” he told reporters. “Now it’s just a matter of taking some time off, thinking, talking to the federation and seeing what the decision will be. I’m very happy. We’ve had a very good relationship. Now is not the time to talk[about my future].”
