'Overturn this!' - Belgium players perform Donald Trump dance to celebrate World Cup win over USMNT amid furore surrounding Folarin Balogun ban reversal

The drama surrounding the round-of-16 clash took a mocking turn when Belgium players were pictured performing a dance made famous by US President Donald Trump during his 2024 election campaign. After finding the net for the fourth time to kill off the contest, several members of the squad mimicked the hip-rocking and arm-pumping motions in a direct jab at the political interference that overshadowed the build-up.

The mockery didn’t stop at the final whistle, as the Belgium convincingly beat the tournament co-hosts 4-1. The national team’s social media admin joined in the fun, posting a photo of veteran striker Romelu Lukaku with a caption that read "overturn this," referencing the effort from the American side to ensure Balogun was eligible for the knockout tie.

The controversy was fueled by the US President, who admitted to speaking directly with FIFA president Gianni Infantino about the suspension. "I think it would have left a big stain," Trump said, though he denied explicitly ordering the ban to be lifted. He maintained that he didn't think it was a foul and only asked for a review of the decision that initially ruled out the Monaco forward.

Despite the intervention, Belgium dominated the match to progress to the quarter-finals. Midfielder Nicolas Raskin admitted that the squad felt a "sense of injustice" over the ruling but decided to do their talking on the field. Captain Youri Tielemans echoed those sentiments, saying: "We told ourselves we had to respond on the pitch. That's what we did."

While the Belgian players were happy to mock the political side of the saga, head coach Rudi Garcia took a more diplomatic approach with the player at the centre of the storm. Garcia revealed that Balogun came to talk with him after the final whistle to discuss the controversy.

"I really liked that," Garcia said when asked about the post-match conversation. "It’s not his fault, he’s not the one to blame and that’s what I told him." The manager insisted the pre-match drama didn't distract his squad, adding: "Regardless of the US starting line-up, what really mattered to us is our game plan. The group is very mature. I told them what matters the most is us."

That singular focus ultimately saw them dismantle the American defence and book a date with Spain in the next round.