It was a match in which justice was served on the pitch. The United States sought victory over Belgium after an unprecedented episode in which a single phone call from President Donald Trump deferred the suspension of a key player, but the team collapsed disastrously after conceding a flurry of goals. After sealing the win with a clinching goal, Belgian players mimicked the signature dance Trump frequently performed during his 2024 election campaign, mocking him. It was a humiliating day for the US, which lost both the result and its moral standing all at once.
Belgium, ranked eighth in the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) rankings, crushed the US (ranked 16th) 4-1 in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup held at Seattle Stadium in the US on Sunday (Korea time), powered by a brace from Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta) and a clinching goal from Romelu Lukaku (Napoli).
When Lukaku's clinching goal came just before the final whistle, Belgian players gathered together and performed the "Trump dance" as a celebration. It was an epic mockery by the Belgian players aimed at the US and President Trump, who had damaged the framework of world soccer through political interference.
After the match, Belgium's official soccer team social media posted the result along with the words, "This is called 'football.'" A strikethrough mark was placed over "soccer," the American term for the sport, in front of "football," taking a shot at the US.
The Belgian team also posted a photo of Lukaku cheering after scoring the team's fourth goal, along with the phrase "Overturn this." It expressed the joy of victory while directly criticizing President Trump's out-of-bounds behavior.
Belgium, which advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in eight years, will compete for a semifinal ticket against Spain (ranked third) at LA Stadium in the US on June 11. Spain defeated Portugal 1-0 that day.
The US started marquee striker Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco), who had been sent off in the Round of 32 against Bosnia and Herzegovina, following President Trump's intervention, but ultimately could not overcome Belgium. After the Round of 32 match, President Trump made a farcical move by calling FIFA President Gianni Infantino to complain that the sending-off was unjust. In response, FIFA deferred Balogun's suspension for one year. FIFA, which strictly prohibits improper interference from political circles, appeared to have yielded to intervention by the US, the host nation and the world's most powerful country.
Balogun, who took the field in the match amid controversy, played close to the full time but remained silent. After the match, he said, "Since the decision was overturned, it was bound to be controversial." He then expressed his sense of injustice, saying, "I was not involved in that process at all. Personally, it has nothing to do with me."
All three co-host nations of this World Cup packed their bags in the Round of 16. Earlier, Canada (ranked 30th) lost 0-3 to Morocco (ranked sixth), and Mexico (ranked 10th) lost 2-3 to England (ranked fourth).
