Belgium stars fired shade at President Donald Trump with their celebrations following their country’s 4-1 humbling of the USA in the FIFA World Cup yesterday.
The tournament’s round of 16 saw the US draw what has become one of Europe’s most capable international sides. It was always going to be a tall order for the 2026 World Cup co-host’s, even if Belgium had failed to inspire prior to yesterday’s game.
Talk in the build up to the match didn’t focus so much on the fixture itself, but rather the unprecedented and – if I might add – wholly suspicious matter of US striker Folarin Balogun being eligible to play.
Balogun was sent off in the USA’s victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup’s round of 32, meaning that he should have been suspended for their next match.
In a hugely controversial and, frankly, distasteful move, however, FIFA suspended the one-match ban until next year, thus allowing Balogun to take the field against Belgium. For reference, it’s something that has never happened in a major football tournament before.
And if theories of corruption are your cup of tea, there’s been no small amount of speculation suggesting that President Donald Trump may have had a role in convincing FIFA to make the unprecedented move of suspending Balogun’s penalty for being shown a red card.
Indeed, Trump himself boasted of having intervened, claiming he had asked FIFA President Giovanni Infantino to review Balogun’s red card.
The Royal Belgian Football Association lodged an appeal, pundits the world over cried outrage, and any football fan not wearing the colors of the United States likely verbally sullied Infantino’s name after the decision was made.
Yet justice – if you’re on the side of the majority – prevailed. Belgium thumped the US 4-1 in Seattle, leaving no doubt concerning who was the better side in the process.
And the celebrations of several Belgium players after Romelu Lukaku scored the country’s fourth goal in stoppage time have been making headlines today after they looked to do an impression of the “Trump dance”, pumping their arms and rocking their hips in similar fashion to how Trump routinely did during his 2024 election campaign.
It doesn’t take football’s most experienced analysts to catch the inference that they were less than happy with Trump’s alleged involvement in quite literally bending the rules so the USA’s top goalscorer in the tournament, Balogun, could play.
“Belgium was MOCKING Trump at the end of the game,” one user on X wrote.
“Top trolling from Belgium,” another wrote.
A third wrote: “Belgium doing the Trump dance after that goal. So disrespectful.”
Belgium’s officially Instagram account proceeded to post a picture of Lukaku cupping his ear, with the caption: “Overturn this.”
Belgium now proceed to face Spain in the quarter finals in Los Angeles on Friday, July 10.
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