Belgium fans in Brussels set fire to an American flag as they celebrated the national team's 4-1 victory over the USA in the last 16 of the World Cup. The win, which came in the early hours of Tuesday, was seen as a rebuke to Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who had lobbied to overturn the suspension of striker Folarin Balogun.
Celebrations Across Belgium
Thousands of fans gathered across the country to watch the match, despite the 2am local kick-off time. In Kalmthout, near the Dutch border, crowds booed images of Americans and Infantino, according to De Standaard. In Brussels, supporters set fire to an American flag.
Political Undertones
Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever has not commented, but his cat Maximus' Instagram account posted a photo of the cat holding a soft toy of Trump, with the caption: "I slept really well last night. And you?" Former Belgium defender Philippe Albert called the victory "a real slap in the face for Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino," telling Le Soir: "They tried to destabilise a little country, but Belgium has shown that it has a big heart."
On-Pitch Mockery
After Romelu Lukaku scored Belgium's fourth goal, the team celebrated by imitating Trump's stiff arm-shuffling moves to YMCA. Midfielder Axel Witsel told VRT it was a group idea. The national team's social media post reading "Overturn this" went viral.
Context and Impact
The victory came on the eve of the NATO summit in Ankara, which De Wever and Trump are due to attend. Belgium has long been one of the lowest defence spenders in the alliance, with a report showing it would spend only 1.93% of GDP on defence in 2029, below the 2% target. Football remains a unifying force in Belgium, a country of 11.9 million people with three official languages and six parliaments. King Philippe is set to travel to Los Angeles for the quarter-final against Spain on Friday.
