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7 July 2026

Belgium’s footballers seemed to take a playful swipe at Donald Trump by imitating the former US president’s distinctive dance after defeating the United States in the World Cup.

The American side were comfortably second best in Seattle, as the co-hosts bowed out of the tournament following a lacklustre performance that ended in a 4-1 loss.

The lead-up to this round of 16 clash had been dominated by controversy surrounding Trump’s alleged involvement in lifting a one-match suspension for striker Folarin Balogun, who had been sent off in the earlier win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Belgium, evidently relishing their victory over the USA and Balogun—who started the match in Seattle—appeared to direct a few subtle jabs at Trump as they celebrated sealing a place in the quarter-finals.

Several Belgian players mimicked the well-known “Trump dance”, which became famous during Trump’s successful 2024 presidential campaign, after Romelu Lukaku netted their fourth goal in stoppage time. Interestingly, American forward Christian Pulisic had previously marked a goal against Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League with the same dance.

An image later shared on Belgium’s official Instagram account showed Lukaku cupping his ear to the crowd, accompanied by the caption “overturn this”, a clear reference to the Balogun suspension controversy.

“A lot has happened off the pitch over the past two days,” said Belgium and Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin. “There was a feeling of unfairness within the team, and we were determined to give our response on the field.”

Prior to the match, the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) had expressed that it was “astonished” by FIFA’s decision to postpone Balogun’s suspension.

The governing body ultimately dismissed Belgium’s appeal, with its disciplinary committee ruling that Belgium were not a concerned party as they were uninvolved in the original incident.