The USMNT’s World Cup run ended in Seattle on Tuesday night, and Belgium made sure the postgame conversation wasn’t just about the 4-1 scoreline. Several Belgian players celebrated Romelu Lukaku’s stoppage-time goal by doing Donald Trump’s signature dance — the same one the president popularized during his 2024 campaign. The gesture felt deliberate. And the official Belgium Instagram account didn’t stop there.
They posted a photo of Lukaku cupping his ear to the crowd with a caption that read, “overturn this.” That’s a direct reference to the controversy that dominated the buildup to this round of 16 match.
The Balogun saga that lit the fuse
Here’s the backstory. U.S. striker Folarin Balogun was suspended one match after getting a red card in the group stage win against Bosnia and Herzegovina. But that ban was suddenly delayed right before the Belgium game, and reports indicated Trump had a hand in pushing FIFA to review the decision. The Royal Belgian Football Association called themselves “astonished” by the timing. Their appeal was rejected on the grounds that Belgium wasn’t directly involved in the incident. You can guess how that sat with the squad.
Belgium midfielder Nicolas Raskin didn’t hide his frustration. “A lot has happened off the pitch over the last two days,” he said. “There was a sense of injustice within the squad, and we were determined to respond on the field.”
They responded, alright. Belgium outplayed the co-hosts for most of the night, and the U.S. never looked comfortable. The final score probably flattered the Americans.
Pulisic did the dance first
There’s some irony here. U.S. captain Christian Pulisic celebrated a goal against Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League last year by doing the same Trump dance. So it’s not like the dance is off-limits for American players. But context matters. Doing it against your own team’s administration after they helped your opponent? That stings a little more.
Belgium now heads to Los Angeles for a quarterfinal matchup against Spain on Friday. A spot in the semifinals is on the line. But for the USMNT, the questions are already stacking up. Whether it’s the Balogun suspension drama, the flat performance on home soil, or the fact that Belgium chose to troll them in the most public way possible, this loss is going to hang around for a while.
The Instagram post is still up, by the way.
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