Belgium turned a 4-1 win over USA into something more pointed after the final whistle. Belgium posted “overturn this” on social media, then players mimicked Donald Trump's dance after Romelu Lukaku scored in stoppage time. The backdrop was the Folarin Balogun dispute, which had already left the squad angry before kick-off.
Belgium's response after the Balogun dispute
Rudi Garcia was keen to frame the result as a collective answer, saying: “The players were outstanding and followed the game plan perfectly. We were in control throughout the match. Once again, it was a real team effort.” Nicolas Raskin was even more direct about the mood in the camp, saying: “A lot has happened off the pitch over the last two days. There was a sense of injustice within the squad, and we were determined to respond on the field.”
The line from the federation had been just as sharp before the game. The RBFA had been “astonished” by FIFA's decision to delay Folarin Balogun's suspension, and its appeal was rejected. There is a version of the story that treats the disciplinary language as the key point. There is also the simple football answer, which is that Belgium were good enough to leave all of it behind once the match started.
Belgium's 4-1 win was not a one-man job. Charles De Ketelaere was the top-rated player at 8.3 and scored twice, while Raskin's 7.7 came with an assist, four tackles and seven duels won. Romelu Lukaku added the stoppage-time finish and now has 2 goals in 5 appearances at the 2026 World Cup. Belgium have also gone unbeaten across their last five World Cup matches, which gives the post-match taunt a little more bite than a one-off celebration would have done.
The political noise will fade faster than the scoreline. What stays is that USA vs Belgium ended 1-4, Belgium made their point with a goal-heavy performance, and the social-media message matched the mood in the dressing room.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 6 outlets. How we work →
