Belgium's players mocked Donald Trump with his signature YMCA dance in the dressing room after knocking the United States out of the World Cup. The co-hosts were eliminated in the last-16 stage following a 4-1 defeat in Seattle.
Controversy over Balogun's red card
The match was steeped in controversy after FIFA suspended Folarin Balogun's red card from the previous round, allowing him to play. Before kick-off, Trump admitted he personally contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to encourage a review of the red card, calling Brazilian referee Raphael Claus 'very suspect'.
Belgium's players responded on the pitch by mimicking Trump's dance after Romelu Lukaku scored their fourth goal in injury time. In the dressing room, YMCA played as the players sang and danced along.
Belgium's official reaction
The Belgium national team's X account posted pictures of Lukaku with the caption 'Overturn this.' Manager Rudi Garcia revealed that Balogun approached him after the game. 'Balogun came to talk to me, I liked that. It's not his fault, he's not the one to blame. I told him that. I appreciate he came to talk to me,' Garcia said.
Trump's intervention
Speaking at the Oval Office, Trump detailed his call to Infantino. 'I spoke to Gianni, who's highly respected. I saw the play and I'm a person that loves sports... that wasn't a foul, that was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other. These were two great athletes that got tangled up and this referee, who is a little bit suspect, if you check his past... He made a call that nobody could believe. He [Balogun] didn't do anything wrong and he's our best player... and he gave him a red card. It's very unfair, you can't do that. So, yes, I asked for a review by FIFA.'
FIFA's response
Infantino issued a statement defending the independence of FIFA's disciplinary committee. 'FIFA's judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously... Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football. Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump... During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA's independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course.'
