Published On 7/7/2026
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Last update: 22:21 (Mecca time)
The Belgium national football team celebrated in a sarcastic way the elimination of the United States, one of the host countries of the World Cup, after winning 4-1 in the round of 16, sending messages to the hosts and US President Donald Trump.
The atmosphere leading up to the match, which was held on Tuesday morning, was dominated by news that confirmed that Trump had contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino, demanding that the suspension of US national team striker Folarin Balogun be overturned.
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FIFA actually responded and suspended the implementation of the suspension penalty due to receiving a red card, so Balogun participated in the match, in a decision that caused shock within football circles, despite Infantino confirming that the decision had nothing to do with Trump’s call.
The Belgian players admitted that this issue gave them additional motivation to achieve the victory, which qualified them to the quarter-finals to face Spain.
Midfielder Nicola Raskin said: “A lot has happened off the pitch over the past two days. There was a feeling of injustice within the team, and we were determined to respond on the pitch.”
Trump dance
After scoring the fourth goal, the Belgian players celebrated with a dance similar to the dance that Trump became famous for during his 2024 US presidential election campaign. Romelu Lukaku, the scorer of the goal, also celebrated by placing his hands behind his ears, in a sarcastic gesture.
The official account of the Belgium national team wrote on social media platforms, accompanied by a picture of the Belgian striker: “Cancel this.”
Belgian national team captain Youri Tielemans said: “We told ourselves that we had to respond on the field, and this is what we did.”
Belgian anger
The Belgian Football Association expressed its anger at FIFA’s decision to suspend Balogun’s suspension, considering that the International Federation violated established protocol.
Balogun, the top scorer for the American team in the tournament with 3 goals, was sent off during the match in which his country won over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 due to violent interference, although television replays indicated that the incident was unintentional.
The Belgian Federation explained in a statement that it was “surprised” by the decision, considering that FIFA had violated the regulations that it had previously confirmed adherence to before the tournament and during its competitions.
The Belgian Federation failed in its appeal to prevent Balogun’s participation, stressing that it is “deeply concerned about what happened, and will continue to defend the basic principles of integrity, fair competition, and the interest of football in general.”
