Belgium Fans Celebrate World Cup Victory Amid Political Controversy
Fans across Belgium watched the national team’s 4-1 victory over the USA in the early hours, marking a significant moment of national pride amid political tensions.
The win was described by some as "a real slap in the face for Trump and Infantino," reflecting the backdrop of controversy involving Donald Trump’s lobbying efforts to overturn the suspension of striker Falorin Balogun.
Political and Social Reactions
Belgium’s prime minister, Bart De Wever, has not publicly commented on the team’s success. However, the official Instagram account of his cat, Maximus, offered a subtle, sardonic indication of satisfaction. In an image, Maximus is shown lying on a rug holding a soft toy resembling the US president, accompanied by a speech bubble in Dutch stating, "I slept really well last night. And you?"
This Instagram account, managed by De Wever’s team, is known for posting ironic and indirect commentary on political figures and events.
Nationwide Support Despite Late Kick-Off
Despite the 2 a.m. local kick-off on Tuesday, large crowds of Belgian fans, many dressed in the national red, yellow, and black colors, gathered across the country to watch the match. Jens Boden, 23, told the newspaper De Standaard from a screening in Kalmthout near the Dutch border,
"The Belgian national team is our national pride, so we have to support them, even at night."
According to reports from Kalmthout, crowds booed images of the American team and Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s president, who was involved in the decision following Trump’s lobbying efforts. In Brussels, some supporters set fire to an American flag.
Comments from Former Players and Media
Philippe Albert, a retired Belgian defender and former Newcastle United centre-back from the 1990s, described the victory as
"a real slap in the face for Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino."
Albert, now a football commentator, told the Francophone daily Le Soir,
"They tried to destabilise a little country, but Belgium has shown that it has a big heart. Despite a far-from-optimal preparation the Devils all responded."
Social Media and Team Celebrations
Following the emphatic 4-1 win, the national team’s social media post stating "#RedDevils #WorldCup" went viral. Clips of the team’s on-pitch celebrations mocking Donald Trump’s dancing also gained widespread attention. After Romelu Lukaku scored Belgium’s final goal, the team celebrated by imitating Trump’s stiff arm-shuffling moves to the YMCA song. Midfielder Axel Witsel told the Dutch public broadcaster VRT that the idea was a group effort.
Social media users created numerous memes celebrating Belgium’s victory, including images of a dour-looking Donald Trump with his face painted in Belgium’s national colors and a depiction of the iconic Brussels statue of a peeing boy urinating into a green-colored Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, referencing the Washington landmark.
Context of the Victory and Upcoming Events
Belgium’s triumph occurred on the eve of the NATO summit in Ankara, which both De Wever and Trump are scheduled to attend. Belgium faces challenges at the summit, as it has historically been one of the lowest defense spenders among the 32 NATO countries, despite pledging to meet the alliance’s 5% of GDP defense spending target. NATO’s latest figures indicate Belgium is expected to reach the 2% spending target by 2025, but the Belga news agency, citing an official report, stated on Monday that Belgium would spend only 1.93% on defense in 2029.
Football as a Unifying Force in Belgium
While defense spending remains a politically sensitive issue, football continues to serve as a unifying force in Belgium, a country of 11.9 million people with three official languages and six parliaments.
Twenty years ago, a former Belgian prime minister described the country as "an accident of history" that shared only "the king, the national football team, some beers."
Royal Support for the National Team
Belgian media reported on Tuesday that King Philippe plans to travel to Los Angeles to watch the quarter-final match against Spain on Friday. Prior to the recent match, the monarchy’s X account posted an image of King Philippe apparently speaking with national coach Rudi Garcia, accompanied by the message:
"May fair-play and the best team prevail tonight: come on Belgium!"
