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Belgium have responded following a controversial buildup to their round-of-16 World Cup tie against the USA.
US President Donald Trump admitted that he called FIFA president Gianni Infantino after USMNT striker Folarin Balogun was shown a red card in the side's round-of-32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The 25-year-old's one-match ban was then remarkably suspended following an intervention by FIFA, allowing him to play against Belgium in last night's knockout clash.
But Belgium would have the last laugh, with the Red Devils progressing to the quarter-finals after goals from Hans Vanaken, Romelu Lukaku, and a double from Charles De Ketelaere secured a 4-1 victory.
Despite the masterclass put on by the European side on US soil, the tie will likely be remembered for the off-pitch drama that unfolded both before and after the whistle was blown in Seattle.
And following the emphatic victory, Belgium had a message for Trump.
The Belgian team could be seen celebrating after bagging their fourth goal in stoppage time, doing an impression of the "Trump dance," which went viral during the 2024 US presidential campaign.
It involved some arm-pumping and hip-rocking, which was famously done by the 47th US President.
The official Instagram account then posted a snap of Lukaku cupping his ear, with the snappy caption: "Overturn this."
Despite the media team having a field day, Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia was more modest about the result, admitting he spoke to Balogun after the game.
"I really liked that. It's not his fault, he's not the one to blame and that's what I told him," he admitted.
"Regardless of the US starting line-up, what really mattered to us is our game plan," he answered when asked about how the decision affected preparations.
"The group is very mature. I told them what matters the most is us."
Balogun's red-card suspension set a precedent, given that the 189 previous red cards shown in World Cup history had only seen a player avoid the automatic one-game suspension once - Brazil's Garrincha in 1962.
Although this was even before the automatic ban system was put in place.
Belgium and Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin admitted that the squad was shocked by the decision, but they used it as fuel.
He explained post-match: "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 side's captain, Youri Tielemans, revealed: "We told ourselves we had to respond on the pitch. That's what we did."
Balogun had committed a nasty foul on Bosnia-Herzegovina's Tarik Muharemovic in USMNT's previous game, which looked sure to rule him out of the Belgium tie.
But FIFA chose to suspend his automatic one-match ban for 12 months instead, resulting in a heavy backlash.
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was "astonished" by the decision in a statement, with an appeal being rejected by FIFA.
The President spoke about Balogun's suspended ban on Monday (July 6), admitting that he asked FIFA to review the ban.
Trump went as far as claiming that the rightful one-game ban would have left a "big stain" on the tournament.
Speaking at the White House, he said: "I think it [the suspension] would have left a big stain,
"I can't tell them what to do. I don't believe they made the decision; I believe it was the commission that made the decision. And it was the right decision."
Luckily for FIFA, the decision meant nothing in the end as the US side were embarrassed in front of their home crowd.
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Belgium's players appeared to take a swipe at Donald Trump after dumping the United States out of the World Cup, leaving many people saying the same thing.
The Red Devils sent the tournament hosts crashing out of FIFA’s flagship competition after capitalising on a string of defensive mistakes before sealing the win with a late fourth goal from Romelu Lukaku, prompting celebrations from him and his teammates that appeared to mimic the “Trump dance”.
The match had already been steeped in controversy before kick-off after FIFA allowed USA striker Folarin Balogun to play despite being sent off in the previous round.
Trump had publicly supported FIFA's decision during an appearance in the Oval Office earlier in the week, revealing he had spoken to FIFA president Gianni Infantino before Balogun's suspension was overturned, confirming he had pushed for the suspension of the red card.
Belgium had strongly objected to the decision and demanded an explanation, even threatening further action if Balogun was eligible to play.
However, after comfortably defeating the United States, the players appeared to make their feelings known with their post-match celebrations.
Charles De Ketelaere scored twice during the opening half, while Malik Tillman briefly gave the USA hope with a free-kick.
Hans Vanaken restored Belgium's two-goal cushion after the break before Romelu Lukaku added a fourth goal late on, celebrating with gestures many viewers compared to Trump's signature dance moves.
The result was particularly painful for the hosts after the build-up had been dominated by the Balogun eligibility saga.
Belgium had originally prepared for the Round of 16 expecting the Arsenal forward to miss the match following his red card. However, FIFA reversed the suspension shortly before the game.
The original dismissal had already sparked debate, while the decision to overturn the ban led to even greater scrutiny. Infantino's close relationship with Trump also prompted questions from critics about the handling of the situation.
Although Infantino later issued a statement, Belgium challenged Balogun's eligibility, but FIFA ruled the complaint "inadmissible."
Following that decision, the Royal Belgian Football Association warned it was considering further action.
"This leaves all further actions open," the federation said.
"To date, the RBFA has still not received any grounds for this decision, nor has it received the information it has been requesting since the start of this procedure."
Belgium's official national team account also joined in after the final whistle, posting a graphic showing the 4-1 scoreline alongside the caption: "Overturn this."
Following the match, social media quickly filled with jokes suggesting Trump's close relationship with FIFA could lead to further controversy.
One X user joked: "Has Trump put in a request with FIFA to make it a best of 7 series with Belgium yet?"
Another wrote: "Donald Trump has demanded a replay of USA v Belgium because the US team was only allowed 11 players on the 'field' (he means pitch) and all the Belgian scorers should be red carded (whatever that means) for being disrespectful ... #LandOfTheFree eh?"
A third added: "Trump Will want a Review on this Match, so u guys can replay the match..."
Belgium will now face current European champions, Spain, in the quarter-finals on Friday.
Donald Trump has revealed the details of his call to FIFA president Gianni Infantino after the controversial suspension of a ban to USMNT player Folarin Balogun.
Balogun’s red card ban was suspended after FIFA intervention, freeing him up to face Belgium in Monday’s quarter final.
Trump also questioned the integrity of the referee of the game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, calling him ‘suspect’.
There has been widespread outrage after the rarely-used rule was brought in to ensure that Balogun could feature up front for the USA, with Belgium’s soccer federation set to appeal the decision and European governing body UEFA also speaking out against it.
Speaking at the White House, Trump said: “I saw the play, and I’m a person that loves sports...
“That wasn’t a foul. That wasn’t even an infraction.
“This referee, who is a little bit suspect if you check his past.
“He made a call that nobody could believe.
“He’s our best player, or one of our best players. And he gave him a red card. I didn’t know what that meant…”
He then confirmed: “Yes, I asked for a review by FIFA.”
Later in the comments, Trump revealed how much he knows about soccer, telling the gathered journalists: “I didn’t know what the hell a red card was. When I found out, I said, ‘You gotta be kidding!’”
The referee, Raphael Claus, sent off Balogun during the US team’s 2-0 win against Bosnia in the 64th minute.
Then, on Sunday, FIFA announced that the one-match ban would be suspended.
That decision attracted particular attention as Donald Trump had made a call to FIFA president Gianni Infantino asking him to rescind or suspend Balogun’s ban.
According to Article 27 of FIFA’s disciplinary code, the game ban will be suspended for one year.
FIFA’s statement said: “If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”
Afterwards, Trump thanked FIFA for making the call and ‘reversing a great injustice’.
So far, Donald Trump has not attended any games in this World Cup, spread between the US, Canada and Mexico, but he will reportedly attend the final and could even hand over the trophy.
After the decision to allow Balogun to play, Belgium manager Rudi Garcia said: “I didn’t know that at the World Cup the 5th of July is actually the first of April. It’s April Fools.
“We’re not defending the national team or the federation, we are defending football, integrity. It’s the first time in World Cup history that such a decision has been taken.”
The Belgian football governing body released a statement confirming it was ‘astonished’ by the rule application, as there is no recourse to appeal yellow cards - the second of which resulted in Balogun’s sending off.
Chelsea star Cole Palmer appeared visibly confused after spotting U.S. President Donald Trump during the Club World Cup trophy presentation, sparking widespread reaction from fans online.
The Premier League club secured the FIFA Club World Cup title on Sunday with a commanding 3-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. A brace from Palmer and a goal from João Pedro sealed the victory for Enzo Maresca’s side.
However, it wasn’t just the on-pitch performance grabbing headlines. During the post-match trophy ceremony, players were joined on stage by 79-year-old Trump, who remained alongside the squad as they lifted the trophy.
Footage of Palmer’s reaction to Trump’s presence quickly went viral on social media. The 23-year-old forward looked visibly surprised as Chelsea captain Reece James stepped forward to hoist the Club World Cup.
Fans quickly decoded what they believed to be Palmer’s reaction, with many lip-reading him uttering the words: “What’s he doing?”
One viewer commented: “Palmer: ‘What’s he doing?’” while another wrote: “He was surprised as well as confused.” A third added: “You can literally see Cole Palmer visibly confused at Trump being there, you can’t make this up.”
Another fan said: “Chelsea trying to celebrate winning the World Cup with Trump in the way is FRYING ME. Cole Palmer: ‘What’s he doing?’”
Speaking after the match, Palmer confirmed he hadn’t expected Trump to appear on stage with the team.
“I knew he was going to be here but I didn’t know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy,” Palmer told The Independent. “I was a bit confused, yeah.”
Reflecting on Chelsea’s performance, Palmer added: “It’s a great feeling. Even better because everyone doubted us before the game, we knew that. To put a fight on like we did, it’s good.”
He also praised manager Enzo Maresca’s tactical preparation: “The gaffer put a great gameplan out. He knew where the space was going to be. He tried to free me up as much as possible and I just had to repay him and score some goals.”
While Chelsea celebrated their latest international success, it was Palmer’s candid reaction that offered an unexpected (and highly relatable) moment for fans watching around the world.
Donald Trump has sparked another debate after suggesting the NFL should consider changing its name, arguing that soccer is the only sport that should be called "football".
The remarks were made during a speech alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who appeared to welcome the idea, reacting with visible approval while standing next to Trump on stage.
The clip has recently resurfaced following the launch of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, currently being co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The flagship tournament has already seen an eventful start, with Mexico beating South Africa in the competition’s opening match, Canada drawing with Bosnia, and the US securing a dominant 4-1 win over Paraguay.
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Speaking about the sport’s growing popularity in the US, Trump said: "When you look what has happened to football in the United States, again soccer in the United States, we seem to never call it that, because we have a little bit of a conflict with another thing that's called football."
He went on to question the naming of the NFL, adding: "But when you think about it, shouldn't it really called, this is football, there's no question, we have to come up with another name for the NFL. It really doesn't make sense when you think about it, it is really football."
The comments quickly divided opinion online.
Some viewers surprisingly agreed with the former president’s take, with one writing: "First time all year I heard this guy say something coherent, thought of, and made a little bit of sense."
Another added: "I never thought I’d live to see the day I’d agree with this man… he’s actually right for once."
However, many American football fans strongly pushed back on the idea. One critic responded: "That’s about as un-American as it gets."
Another joked: "I will call it Trump Ball, it will be terrific, it will be the best football since football."
With the World Cup now underway and global attention firmly on the sport, Trump’s comments have only added to the ongoing debate over what truly deserves to be called "football".
A lip reader has revealed what Chelsea star Cole Palmer said to teammate Reece James as the team stood behind President Donald Trump during their Club World Cup trophy presentation.
Confusion swept the stage at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on Sunday night when Trump unexpectedly remained with the Chelsea squad as they celebrated their 3–0 victory over Paris Saint Germain.
The 79-year-old President had just presented the trophy to captain Reece James, but instead of stepping aside to join FIFA President Gianni Infantino, he stayed in the spotlight with the players.
Television footage showed Palmer, 23, appearing puzzled by Trump’s presence, reportedly asking, “What is he doing?” as the celebrations were about to begin.
Lip reader Jeremy Freeman told The Mirror that Palmer could be seen saying: “No, no, just wait, wait… wait… wait,” while Trump stood in front of him.
Moments later, James looked to the side of the stage and asked: “I can lift?” before raising the trophy to officially kick off the celebrations.
Speaking after the match, Palmer admitted he hadn’t expected Trump to be on stage for the trophy lift.
“I knew he was going to be here but I didn’t know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy. I was a bit confused, yes,” he told reporters.
James, 25, suggested the President may have been unsure of what he was supposed to do.
“To be honest, it was quite loud. I couldn’t hear too much,” James said. “He just congratulated me and the team for lifting the trophy and told us to enjoy the moment.”
Fellow defender Levi Colwill, 22, added that Trump was originally expected to leave the stage. “They told me he was going to present the trophy and then exit, but he wanted to stay,” Colwill said.
Trump did eventually step aside and joined Infantino near the back of the stage as Chelsea players celebrated. Speaking to broadcaster DAZN, Trump praised the sport’s rise in the U.S., saying: “It’s a great sport. It’s growing fast. This was a bit of an upset we’re watching today.”
The U.S., along with Canada and Mexico, is set to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and Trump acknowledged the global impact of the tournament.
“It’s a big thing, Gianni’s a friend of mine. FIFA’s done fantastically well,” he said.
Chelsea’s dominant 3–0 win, powered by two goals from Palmer and a third from Joao Pedro, secured them the Club World Cup title, and reportedly earned the club a windfall of £84.7 million.
