Belgium knocked the United States out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 4-1 win in Seattle, then appeared to mock President Donald Trump with a goal celebration that quickly spread across social media.
The Belgian players performed what has become widely known as the “Trump dance” after Romelu Lukaku scored the fourth and final goal of the match. Clips later showed players repeating the dance in the locker room as they celebrated reaching the quarterfinals.
The gesture followed one of the most controversial build-ups of the tournament. U.S. striker Folarin Balogun had been shown a straight red card in the previous round against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but FIFA suspended the automatic one-match ban for a one-year probationary period after Trump personally asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the case.
Balogun was allowed to play against Belgium, a decision that drew sharp criticism from UEFA. European football’s governing body said FIFA had “crossed a red line” and warned that the ruling undermined the integrity of the competition.
Belgium had also objected to Balogun’s availability before the match, but ultimately delivered its answer on the pitch. Charles De Ketelaere scored twice, Hans Vanaken added a third, and Lukaku completed the rout in stoppage time as American supporters began leaving the stadium.
Belgium’s official social media account also appeared to take aim at the controversy, posting an image of Lukaku with the caption: “Overturn this.”
The result ended the United States’ World Cup run on home soil and sent Belgium into the final eight, where it will face Spain in the quarterfinals.
