Belgium celebrated their 4-1 win over the United States at Seattle Stadium with a dance imitation of President Donald Trump’s signature moves, which appears to have been intentional.
The Red Devils took advantage of three defensive lapses to eliminate the United States from their home World Cup, then added a fourth late on for a commanding victory. Tensions were already high before kick-off after FIFA allowed controversial US striker Folarin Balogun to play despite receiving a red card in the previous game.
President Trump publicly supported FIFA’s ruling in the Oval Office on Monday, acknowledging that he spoke with coach Gianni Infantino before the suspension was announced.
Belgium was furious and demanded answers, threatening further action, but as the embarrassment continued and Trump was filmed boarding a plane and leaving the country, he finally let his feet and dancing take control.
Belgian forward Charles de Ketelaer scored two goals in the first half, either side of a free kick from American Malik Tillman. Hans Vanaken then scored in an empty net to give Belgium a 3-1 lead after the break, before Romelu Lukaku scored his fourth late on and celebrated in true Trump style.
This was a cruel twist of the knife, given that the entire Trump-Balogun controversy threatened to overshadow the proceedings even before a ball was kicked. Belgium had prepared for the last-16 encounter in the hopes that Balogun would be absent, but FIFA dramatically reversed the decision in the 11th hour.
The decision, which resulted in Balogun receiving a straight red card in the round of 32, was controversial, and the agreement with FIFA to suspend his suspension also drew attention. The relationship between Mr. Infantino and Mr. Trump has set off alarm bells and raised questions about their sincerity.
Belgian players appeared to imitate the US president’s infamous dance (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Mr Infantino issued a statement on the matter, while Belgium sought to contest Mr Balogun’s eligibility. FIFA deemed the challenge “unacceptable” as Belgium sought clarification.
Belgium has since warned Balogun of possible action if he plays in Monday’s match, 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.”
“When you get a red card, normally you don’t play in the next game, and if that decision is reversed, of course it’s going to be controversial,” Balogun said of the chaotic situation after America’s sending off.
Folarin Balogun spoke after the game about reversing his suspension (Image: AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
“So I wasn’t too surprised. But my job as a player is to go out there and focus on my job. And it’s disappointing not to win today.”
He added: “We accepted the decision when we got the red card and we accepted the decision when we were told we could play. There’s not much I can say about this. Having said that, Belgium were the better team today. They played much better than us.”
Beyond the full-time celebration, the official Belgian soccer account sent out another pointed message for FIFA and the USMNT. “Flip this,” the account posted, along with a graphic showing the 4-1 scoreline.
Belgium defeats USA to advance to World Cup quarterfinals
Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, on the other hand, went further, saying: “To be honest, I was more confident that we would win today than against Senegal. They were a stronger team than America, and that was evident today.”
Belgian captain Youri Tielemans said the Balogun situation helped reinvigorate the team and said of Balogun’s controversy, “To be honest, we had a meeting when we heard the news.”
“We told ourselves that we needed to make our words heard on the pitch and we did that today. I’m very proud of the team.”
Belgium teammate Nicolas Raskin admitted: “There was a feeling of unfairness within the team, but we were determined to respond on the field.”
After meeting with the player at the center of the controversy, coach Rudi Garcia paid tribute to the player: “He (Balogun) came to talk to me, and I loved it. It’s not his fault, it’s not his fault, I told him that. I appreciate his intention in talking to me.”
Belgium coach Rudi Garcia said Balogun spoke to him at the end of the match (Image: ISI Photos via Getty Images)
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, a repeat of 2022 when they lost 3-1 to the Netherlands.
US head coach Mauricio Pochettino had set the semi-final as an unofficial benchmark, hoping to lead the hosts to a higher place in the tournament. Pochettino’s contract expires this summer, but his next move has not yet been announced.
“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].”
Get the latest 2026 World Cup news in your inbox with our Make Football Great Again newsletter
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with Sky Glass ‘designed for soccer’
From £6
sky
Get the deal here
Sky is reducing prices by 20% on all of its glass TV products during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Shoppers can now upgrade to a Sky smart TV ‘designed for football’ from £6 a month when used with a Sky TV and Netflix package.
