The players from Belgium took part in one of the most talked-about celebrations of the 2026 World Cup by imitating the famous "Trump dance" after defeating the United States 4-1 in the round of 16 held this Monday at Lumen Field in Seattle.
The celebration has gone viral in just a few hours and has sparked a debate on social media due to its evident political implications.
Belgium eliminated the United States from the 2026 World Cup with absolute dominance: 14 shots compared to seven from the hosts and six shots on target against just two from the home team.
Charles De Ketelaere opened the scoring in the ninth minute and extended the lead in the 33rd. Malik Tillman reduced the deficit for the U.S. in the 31st minute, but Hans Vanaken restored the difference in the 57th.
The final blow came in injury time when Romelu Lukaku scored the fourth goal to secure qualification.
It was in that moment that the celebration erupted, one that would go around the world.
The "Trump dance" in the open field
After scoring, Lukaku ran with his hands over his ears and pointed to the FIFA box, while his teammates mirrored the movement of arms and shoulders that President Donald Trump performs at his rallies to the beat of "YMCA," the hit song by the Village People.
The gesture, a symbol of the MAGA movement since the 2024 presidential campaign, was immediately interpreted as a direct response to the controversial week that preceded it.
The Catch Up Feed account summarized it succinctly: "Diabolical: the Belgian football team does the Trump dance after DESTROYING the U.S. team 4-1."
Memes are multiplying
Following the outcome on the field, memes have exploded on social media, taking into account the controversial incident that served as a prelude.
Many of these memes have drawn on the iconic Manneken Pis, a small and famous bronze statue measuring just 55.5 centimeters located in the historic center of Brussels, which depicts a small naked boy urinating into the bowl of the fountain.
In one of today's viral memes, the little one is seen urinating on Trump himself.
In another meme, the sculpture appears gigantic, replacing the Statue of Liberty and urinating on New York City.
The controversy that explains the celebration
On July 1, American forward Folarin Balogun received a straight red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina in San Francisco.
On July 3, according to sources cited by CNN, Trump personally called the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, to request a review of the sanction.
On July 5, FIFA revoked the expulsion in a unprecedented decision in the history of the World Cup.
Trump celebrated on Truth Social: “Thank you to FIFA for doing the right thing and reversing a great injustice!”
On Monday, Trump publicly acknowledged his intervention from the Oval Office: "So yes, I requested a review by FIFA."
He also admitted that at first he didn't understand what a red card meant or that it would entail missing the next match.
He also questioned the Brazilian referee Raphael Claus: "This referee is a bit suspicious if you look at his past. I don't want to say that because I don't like to create controversy, but it's very suspicious."
Infantino confirmed the call and defended the decision: "I explained that there was a legal process underway involving FIFA's independent judicial bodies."
The international reaction was strong. UEFA called the measure "unprecedented, incomprehensible, and unjustifiable" and warned that "a red line has been crossed."
The former FIFA president, Joseph Blatter, was more direct: "Red cards are not rescinded due to political phone calls."
Belgium challenged the decision, but their appeal was declared inadmissible. Balogun played and did not score.
History and next opponent
The elimination of the United States has a historical dimension: for the first time in World Cup history, all three host countries of the same tournament—United States, Mexico, and Canada—were eliminated before the quarter-finals.
For Belgium, it is also a long-awaited revanche: they had already eliminated the U.S. in the round of 16 of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil with a 2-0 score after extra time, and in March 2026, they had thrashed them 5-2 in a friendly match in Atlanta.
Belgium will face Spain in the quarter-finals on July 10 at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, in what promises to be one of the most exciting matchups of the round.
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