Belgium give stern message over World Cup red card controversy as they beat USA 4-1 despite Trump intervention
Well, the hosts are officially out of the World Cup after Belgium beat team USA 4-1 last night (6 July).
But more than just getting to progress to the quarter-finals, it gave the Belgians a bit of a chance to send a message.
The run-up to the match was pretty overshadowed by controversy thanks to the red card debacle.
That came, of course, after FIFA suspended the red card given USA’s striker, Folarin Balogun, in their World Cup last 32 game against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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And it quickly became a global controversy when it came to light that Donald Trump had lobbied for it to be overturned.
Balogun himself told press that he wasn’t surprised the decision was ‘controversial’.
And Belgian full-back Timothy Castagne said before the match: "It's great to have the world on our side against the United States.”
Well, it’s fair to say plenty of us have woken up this morning impressed with Belgium, who gave the US their heaviest defeat since 1990.
Belgium had opened the scoring in the ninth minute thanks to Charles De Ketelaere.
They then got their fourth in added time with Romelu Lukaku ultimately serving the dagger in the heart for the hosts.
And as Belgium progress to a quarter-final clash with Spain (who beat Portugal last night), their coach, Rudi Garcia, said they showed that ‘Belgium is a great football nation’.
But the team’s official social media channels sent out a bit of a stronger, sarkier message than that quickly after their victory was confirmed.
Alongside snaps of their goal celebrations, the team wrote: “Overturn this.”
And captain Youri Tielemans even reckons the red card controversy had helped to motivate the side.
“Let’s be honest: we held a meeting when we heard the news,” the Belgian said after last night’s match, per The Guardian.
“We told ourselves we needed to do our talking on the pitch. That’s what we did today. I’m very proud of the team.”
And winger Dodi Lukébakio added that while Belgium were aware of the red card incident, the team hadn’t let it distract them.
He said: “We didn’t understand really why he was allowed to play, because he got the red card, but we didn’t want to go too much into it, we wanted to be focused and to play our game, and that’s what we did today.”
Belgium boss Rudi Garcia said that Balogun approached him straight after the match.
"It's not his fault, he's not the one to blame and that's what I told him," he said.
And US boss Mauricio Pochettino said, per the BBC: “It didn't affect our performance. It's not an excuse. It wasn't our day.
"But in a personal way, what is the point to insult or receive a lot of bad messages?
"It's a rule for the federation to apply and to try [to overturn the ban]. My position was to train the team. If Balogun is available because FIFA allow for you to have the player, it's not a problem.
“I feel disappointed with too many people. They put politics and manipulation, talk about ethics and integrity [first]. If we talk about the history of this game, I am disappointed in a personal way."
2026 World Cup results so far
Tuesday 7 July
Round of 16 - Match 94: USA vs Belgium, 1-4
Monday 6 July
Round of 16 - Match 92: Mexico vs England, 2-3
Round of 16 - Match 93: Portugal vs Spain, 0-1
Sunday 5 July
Round of 16 - Match 91: Brazil vs Norway, 1-2
Saturday 4 July
Round of 32 - Match 87: Colombia vs Ghana, 1-0
Round of 16 - Match 90: Canada vs Morocco, 0-3
Round of 16 - Match 89: Paraguay vs France, 0-1
Friday 3 July
Round of 32 - Match 83: Portugal vs Croatia, 2-1
Round of 32 - Match 85: Switzerland vs Algeria, 2-0
Round of 32 - Match 88: Australia vs Egypt, 1-1 (2-4 on penalties)
Round of 32 - Match 86: Argentina vs Cabo Verde, 3-2
Thursday, 2 July
Round of 32 - Match 81: USA vs Bosnia & Herzegovnia, 2-0
Round of 32 - Match 84: Spain vs Austria, 3-0
Wednesday, 1 July
Round of 32 - Match 79: Mexico vs Ecuador, 2-0
Round of 32 - Match 80: England vs DR Congo, 2-1
Round of 32 - Match 82: Belgium vs Senegal, 3-2
Tuesday, 30 June
Round of 32 - Match 75: Netherlands vs Morocco, 1-1 (3-2)
Round of 32 - Match 78: Ivory Coast vs Norway, 2-1
Round of 32 - Match 77: France vs Sweden, 3-0
Monday, 29 June
Round of 32 - Match 76: Brazil vs Japan, 2-1
Round of 32 - Match 74: Germany vs Paraguay, 1-1 (4-3)
Sunday, 28 June
Group K: Colombia vs Portugal, 0-0
Group K: DR Congo vs Uzbekistan, 3-1
Group J: Algeria vs Austria, 3-3
Group J: Jordan vs Argentina, 3-1
Round of 32 - Match 73: South Africa vs Canada, 1-0
Saturday, 27 June
Group H: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia, 0-0
Group H: Uruguay vs Spain, 1-0
Group G: New Zealand vs Belgium, 5-1
Group G: Egypt vs Iran, 1-1
Group L: Panama vs England, 2-0
Group L: Croatia vs Ghana, 2-1
Friday, 26 June
Group I: Senegal vs Iraq, 5-0
Group I: Norway vs France, 4-1
Group F: Tunisia vs Netherlands, 3-1
Group F: Japan vs Sweden, 1-1
Group D: Türkiye vs USA, 3-2
Group D: Paraguay vs Australia, 0-0
Thursday, 25 June
Group A: South Africa vs South Korea, 1-0
Group A: Mexico vs Czech Republic, 3-0
Group E: Curacao vs Ivory Coast, 2-0
Group E: Germany vs Ecuador, 2-1
Wednesday, 24 June
Group C: Brazil vs Scotland, 3-0
Group C: Morocco vs Haiti, 4-2
Group B: Qatar vs Bosnia-Herzegovnia, 3-1
Group B: Switzerland vs Canada, 2-1
Group L: Panama vs Croatia, 1-0
Group L: Colombia vs DR Congo, 1-0
Tuesday, 23 June
Group I: Norway vs Senegal, 3-2
Group J: Algeria vs Jordan, 2-1
Group K: Portugal vs Uzbekistan, 5-0
Group L: England vs Ghana, 0-0
Monday, 22 June
Group G: New Zealand vs Egypt, 1-3
Group J: Argentina vs Austria, 2-0
Group I: France vs Iraq, 3-0
Sunday, 21 June
Group E: Ecuador vs Curaçao, 0-0
Group F: Tunisia vs Japan, 0-4
Group G: Belgium vs Iran, 0-0
Group H: Spain vs Saudi Arabia, 4-0
Group H: Uruguay vs Cape Verde, 2-2
Saturday, 20 June
Group C: Brazil vs Haiti, 3-0
Group D: Turkey vs Paraguay, 0-1
Group E: Germany vs Ivory Coast, 2-1
Group F: Netherlands vs Sweden, 5-1
Friday, 19 June
Group A: Mexico vs South Korea, 1-0
Group C: Scotland vs Morocco, 0-1
Group D: USA vs Australia, 2-0
Thursday 18 June
Group L: Ghana vs Panama, 1-0
Group K: Uzbekistan vs Colombia, 1-3
Group A: Czech Republic vs South Africa, 1-1
Group B: Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina, 4-1
Group B: Canada vs Qatar, 6-0
Wednesday 17 June
Group K: Portugal vs DR Congo, 1-1
Group L: England vs Croatia, 4-2
Group J: Argentina vs Algeria, 3-0
Group J: Austria vs Jordan, 3-1
Tuesday 16 June
Group G: Iran vs New Zealand, 2-2
Group I: France vs Senegal, 3-1
Group I: Iraq vs Norway, 1-4
Monday, 15 June
Group E: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador, 1-0
Group F: Sweden vs Tunisia, 5-1
Sunday, 14 June
Group C: Haiti vs Scotland, 0-1
Group D: Australia vs Turkey, 2-0
Group E: Germany vs Curaçao, 7-1
Group F: Netherlands vs Japan, 2-2
Saturday, 13 June
Group D: USA vs Paraguay, 4-1
Group B: Qatar vs Switzerland, 1-1
Group C: Brazil vs Morocco, 1-1
Friday, 12 June
Group A: South Korea vs Czech Republic, 2-1
Group B: Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina, 1-1
Thursday, 11 June
Group A: Mexico vs South Africa, 2-0
Topics: World Cup, Football, US News, Donald Trump
Jess Battison