Belgium's players mocked Donald Trump with his signature dance to YMCA in the dressing room after knocking the United States out of the World Cup with a 4-1 victory in Seattle. The co-hosts crashed out at the last-16 stage, but the match was overshadowed by controversy after FIFA suspended Folarin Balogun's red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina, allowing him to play. Trump had personally contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to push for a review, calling referee Raphael Claus 'very suspect'.
On-field mockery and dressing room celebrations
Belgium's players responded on the pitch by mimicking Trump's YMCA dance after Romelu Lukaku scored their fourth goal in injury time. In the dressing room, YMCA played over the speakers as players sang and copied the dance again. The Belgium men's national team's official X account posted pictures of Lukaku with the caption: 'Overturn this.'
Trump's intervention and FIFA's response
Speaking at the Oval Office, Trump detailed his call to Infantino: 'I spoke to Gianni, who's highly respected. I saw the play and that wasn't a foul, that wasn't even an infraction. 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. So, yes, I asked for a review by FIFA.' Infantino issued a statement defending FIFA's judicial independence, saying: '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.'
Manager's comments on Balogun
Belgium manager Rudi Garcia revealed that Balogun approached him after the game. 'Balogun came to talk to me, I liked that,' Garcia said. 'It's not his fault, he's not the one to blame. I told him that. I appreciate he came to talk to me.'
