As the final whistle blew in a resounding 4-1 victory, Belgium erupted into widespread celebrations, its national football team having dealt a significant blow to pre-match controversy and international politics. The win over the USA was hailed as a defiant response to Donald Trump's high-profile lobbying efforts to overturn a suspension for US striker Falorin Balogun, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino's subsequent decision to lift the ban.
The drama surrounding the match drew strong criticism from Belgian supporters, with former defender Philippe Albert labelling the win as "a real slap in the face for Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino". The Francophone daily Le Soir reported that Albert described Belgium's demonstration of national spirit as a testament to its "big heart" despite attempts to destabilise the smaller nation.
The jubilation extended beyond the stands, with the Belgian national team's official social media account posting "Overturn this" after the final whistle. Players were seen imitating Donald Trump's distinctive stiff arm-shuffling dance moves following Romelu Lukaku's final goal, a gesture reportedly confirmed by midfielder Axel Witsel as a collective team idea to the Dutch public broadcaster VRT.
In an unusual and wry nod to the controversy, Prime Minister Bart De Wever's cat, Maximus, posted an image on Instagram showing the feline holding a soft toy resembling Donald Trump, accompanied by the Dutch caption: "I slept really well last night. And you?" The official account of Maximus, managed by De Wever's team, is known for its often ironic and oblique political commentary.
The victory offers a moment of national unity for Belgium, a country of 11.9 million people with three official languages and six parliaments. Football has long been a unifying force in this diverse nation, where celebrations like these are always closely watched by global leaders – the eve of a NATO summit in Ankara, where Prime Minister De Wever and Donald Trump will be attending, may bring Belgian defence spending into sharp focus. With reports suggesting Belgium may fall short of its pledged 2% of GDP defence spending target even by 2029, the nation's leader may face uncomfortable questions at the summit. Meanwhile, King Philippe is due to travel to Los Angeles to watch Belgium's quarter-final match against Spain.