Following a resounding 4-1 triumph over the United States at Seattle Stadium, Belgium’s players marked the occasion with a coordinated dance imitating President Donald Trump’s well-known gestures, in what appeared to be an intentional taunt.
The host nation was eliminated from the World Cup by the Red Devils, who took full advantage of three defensive mistakes before netting a final goal late in the match to complete a dominant victory. Friction had already been building prior to the match because of FIFA’s debated choice to let American forward Folarin Balogun play, despite his ejection in the prior stage.
On Monday, Trump openly voiced his support for FIFA’s judgment from the Oval Office, revealing that he had communicated with Gianni Infantino before the reversal of the suspension was made public.
The Belgian camp was furious, insisting on explanations and warning of potential pushback, but they ultimately proved their point on the field and through their choreography, while footage emerged of Trump getting onto an aircraft and leaving the nation as the humiliating defeat unfolded.
Belgian attacker Charles De Ketelaere scored a first-half brace, sandwiching a set-piece goal from the USA’s Malik Tillman. Following the interval, Hans Vanaken rolled the ball into an unguarded goal to extend Belgium’s lead to 3-1, before Romelu Lukaku added a fourth goal in the dying minutes and mimicked Trump’s dance.
This served as a harsh final blow, especially since the drama surrounding Trump and Balogun had nearly eclipsed the actual game before it even commenced. The Belgian squad had formulated their strategy for the round-of-16 tie under the assumption that Balogun would be suspended, only for FIFA to make a sudden, last-minute U-turn.
The initial ruling that saw Balogun handed a direct red card in the round of 32 sparked debate, and FIFA’s subsequent choice to put his suspension on hold drew heavy criticism. Furthermore, Infantino’s relationship with Trump sparked concerns, casting doubts over the sport’s fairness.
Although Infantino put out an official comment regarding the situation, Belgium attempted to challenge whether Balogun was allowed to play. FIFA dismissed the formal complaint as “inadmissible,” even as the Belgians pushed for a clear explanation.
The Belgian side later cautioned that they might take further steps if the US forward took part in Monday’s fixture, but the striker was nevertheless named in the starting eleven. “This leaves all further actions open,” the Royal Belgian Football Association said.
“To date, the RBFA has still not received any grounds for this decision, nor has it received the information it has been requesting since the start of this procedure.”
Speaking on the complicated scenario following the United States’ elimination, Balogun remarked: “When you’re given a red card, usually the protocol is you don’t play in the following game. Then, when that decision’s overturned, of course, it’s going to be controversial.
