Belgium advanced to the World Cup quarter-finals after defeating co-hosts United States 4-1 in a round-of-16 match in Seattle on Monday, July 6, 2026.
The match was overshadowed by political interference in the tournament.
FIFA's decision to suspend an automatic one-match ban for US forward Folarin Balogun followed personal intervention from US President Donald Trump.
This sparked widespread criticism from UEFA and political figures.
Following the victory, Belgian players celebrated by mimicking Donald Trump's trademark dance moves.
The team's official X account posted a message mockingly targeting the decision to overturn Balogun's suspension.
"A lot has happened off the pitch over the last two days," said Belgium midfielder Nicolas Raskin. He noted that the squad felt motivated by the off-field events.
Raskin added context to the team's motivation before the game, which ultimately set up a quarter-final clash against Spain in Los Angeles.
"There was a sense of injustice within the squad, and we were determined to respond on the field," Raskin said.
Belgian captain Youri Tielemans echoed those sentiments. "We told ourselves we had to respond on the pitch.
That's what we did," said Tielemans.
Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia praised the maturity of his group. He revealed he had a post-match conversation with the American forward.
"He came to talk to me, I really like that," Garcia said regarding Balogun.
Garcia clarified that the political storm surrounding the lineup eligibility did not alter Belgium's internal focus.
"It's not his fault, he's not the one to blame and that's what I told him," Garcia said.
The Belgian manager further minimized the impact of external factors on his tactical preparation.
"Regardless of the US starting line-up, what really mattered to us is our game plan," Garcia said.
He expressed confidence in how his players handled the situation leading up to the whistle.
"The group is very mature. I told them what matters the most is us," Garcia said.
Balogun, who started the match for the United States, distanced himself from the administrative process that allowed him to play after his previous red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"I accepted the decision when I was given the red card, and I accepted the decision when I was told I was allowed to play," Balogun said.
The Monaco striker emphasized that he played no role in the discussions between the US administration and football governing bodies.
"I didn't have any involvement in the process, and that's not something that has anything to do with me personally," Balogun said.
United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino expressed his frustration to the BBC regarding the administrative distractions surrounding the elimination.
"It didn't affect our performance. It's not an excuse.
It wasn't our day," Pochettino said.
Pochettino questioned the personal backlash received during the build-up to the round-of-16 fixture.
"But in a personal way, what is the point to insult or receive a lot of bad messages?"
Pochettino said.
The American coach defended his role, stating his primary responsibility remained preparing the available squad.
"It's a rule for the federation to apply and to try [to overturn the ban]. My position was to train the team.
If Balogun is available because FIFA allow for you to have the player, it's not a problem," Pochettino said.
He concluded by expressing disappointment over how external arguments took precedence over football history. "I feel disappointed with too many people.
They put politics and manipulation, talk about ethics and integrity [first].
If we talk about the history of this game, I am disappointed in a personal way," Pochettino said.
United States defender Tim Ream supported his coach's view, stating the locker room remained insulated from the public debate.
"No, it had no impact. We've done a good job with this group of allowing outside noise to be outside noise.
It's got nothing to do with us as players and getting ready for games," Ream said.
Ream minimized the distractions as a standard reflection of modern media environments. "It's one of those things.
That's the world we live in.
We were fully focused on us as a group and as a team and fully focused on the game and not really worrying about what was being said or debated in the outside world," Ream said.
The controversy has generated demands for leadership changes within football's governing body from political figures like Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey.
"Infantino must go," Davey said, criticizing the apparent political interference.
Davey emphasized the cultural ownership of the tournament beyond organizational bodies. "No matter where it is held, the World Cup belongs to the fans," Davey said.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who defended the independence of the disciplinary committee, has no intentions of stepping down ahead of next year's elections.
He holds solid support from South American, Asian, and African member associations.
