The Belgium national team celebrated their victory over the United States at Seattle Stadium on July 6, 2026, by performing President Donald Trump’s signature fist-pumping dance on the field, then continued the mockery in the locker room with “Y.M.C.A.” blaring in the background.
The performance came after striker Romelu Lukaku scored Belgium’s fourth goal in stoppage time of their 4-1 dismantling of the host nation in the round of 16, eliminating the U.S. from its own World Cup. Lukaku and several teammates broke into the unmistakable arm-pumping, hip-swaying celebration that Trump made famous during his 2024 campaign trail. The Belgian squad’s official X account posted a photo of Lukaku celebrating with defender Timothy Castagne, captioning it simply: “Overturn this.”
That two-word jab referenced a remarkable episode that had unfolded in the days before the match. U.S. forward Folarin Balogun was shown a red card on July 1 during a game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, triggering an automatic one-game ban. Trump then phoned International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) President Gianni Infantino requesting a review. On July 5, FIFA reversed the red card and lifted Balogun’s suspension, clearing him to play against Belgium.
Global Soccer Bodies Condemn FIFA Decision
The reversal drew swift international condemnation. The Royal Belgian Football Association said it was “astonished” by the move. UEFA, the governing body of European football, expressed its disbelief at such an “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision.” Belgium appealed to FIFA to reconsider, and FIFA denied that appeal outright.
Both Trump and Infantino rejected any suggestion of improper influence. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on July 6, Trump said he asked for a review because he did not believe it was a foul. Infantino released a statement the same day confirming he had spoken with Trump, as he regularly does with various heads of state and officials, while stressing that FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee functions without outside interference — a standard he pledged to maintain.
Belgium Dominates Despite Controversy
The off-field drama did nothing to help the Americans on the pitch. Belgium controlled the match from start to finish, with midfielder Hans Vanaken scoring their third goal before Lukaku added the fourth. Midfielder Nicolas Raskin said afterward that recent off-field events had created a sense of injustice that drove the team’s performance. Players including winger Jeremy Doku, midfielder Youri Tielemans and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois were part of a Belgian squad that had too much quality for a U.S. side coached by Mauricio Pochettino.
Video circulated on social media showing Belgium’s locker room celebration, with players jumping on benches and waving shirts while performing the Trump dance to “Y.M.C.A.” — Trump’s favorite rally anthem — blasting in the background. The scene turned the post-match party into a full-throated parody.
Belgium’s win sends them into the World Cup quarterfinals against Spain on Friday, July 10, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. For the Americans, the defeat marked the fourth consecutive World Cup in which the U.S. was eliminated at round 16.
A Dance That Even the First Lady Dislikes
The dance became one of the defining visual signatures of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, and since then world leaders and athletes around the globe have recreated it, sometimes in admiration and sometimes in unmistakable mockery. Belgium’s players are hardly the first to weaponize the move as commentary.
But perhaps the most surprising critic is someone much closer to the president. Trump himself told reporters that first lady Melania Trump is no fan of it — a detail that adds a domestic wrinkle to an already chaotic week of World Cup politics.
For U.S. soccer fans, the loss stings on multiple levels: a controversial red card reversal that drew global condemnation, a lopsided scoreline, and a Belgian squad that made sure the whole world knew exactly what they thought about the off-field drama — all set to the unmistakable opening notes of “Y.M.C.A.”
