Belgium defeated the United States 4-1 in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 on Monday night in Seattle, then taunted the U.S. team and President Donald Trump with a mocking celebration and a pointed social media post.
Trump's intervention backfires
Before the match, President Trump successfully lobbied FIFA to overturn a red card given to U.S. striker Folarin Balogun in the previous game, which would have forced him to miss the match due to suspension. Trump said he called FIFA president Gianni Infantino, and the organization later announced that Balogun's ban would be suspended.
The Royal Belgian Football Association protested the decision, but it ultimately did not matter on the pitch. Belgium dominated the favored Americans, with Romelu Lukaku scoring the final goal in second-half injury time.
Belgium's savage response
After the match, the Belgian team's official X account posted a photo of Lukaku celebrating with the caption: "Overturn this." The post directly mocked Trump's intervention.
During the celebration of Lukaku's goal, a large group of Belgian players mocked Trump by doing his signature dance move near a corner flag. The moment was captured on video and widely shared.
US team slammed by analysts and fans
In Canada, TSN's post-game panel criticized the U.S. team's effort. Kevin Kilbane said: "This team is so overhyped. They have been demolished today. They were schooled. They were embarrassed on and off the pitch because Belgium showed how flawed they really are." Steven Caldwell added: "It's hard to explain how bad they are at this level."
One of the most embarrassing moments was when American goalkeeper Matt Freese badly misplayed a ball, leading to an easy third goal for Belgium. Barstool founder Dave Portnoy, a major U.S. soccer supporter, wrote on X: "Embarrassing effort from the United States. Lights were way too bright for US soccer team. Stage way too big. If we're gonna keep creating international incidents over soccer it may be time to institute a soccer draft." He added: "We're a f***ing joke. That game was a f***ing joke. If you're gonna have us root for our team, how about having a goalie who f***ing doesn't give up a goal, just kicking the ground and giving it to the other team."
