On Tuesday the Belgian press devoted considerable space to analyzing their national football team’s resounding 4-1 victory over the United States, in a match overshadowed by the Folarin Balogun controversy and memories of U.S. President Donald Trump’s intervention with FIFA to secure his pardon.
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The French-language newspaper Le Soir ran the ironic headline “Hello, Donald?” on its digital and print front pages, accompanying the story with a photograph of Romelu Lukaku celebrating the final goal of the match, in which the striker cupped his ears before imitating Trump’s infamous dance with his teammates. Meanwhile, the Flemish newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws asked directly: “What will Donald Trump think of this?”
From a more analytical perspective, La Libre considered Trump’s intervention useless against a Belgium team that displayed its best form, while De Standaard emphasized that, however decisive FIFA’s decision may have been, the Red Devils sent the United States home with equal authority.
On an institutional level, the official Belgian Red Devils account summed up the national sentiment with a terse “Cancel this,” posted at the end of the match.
History repeated for Belgium in the Round of 16
#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/YMQL3Y8HHT
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 7, 2026
Heading to the quarterfinals against Spain
Despite the euphoria, Belgium is already focused on its next challenge: the quarterfinals against Spain, scheduled for Friday in Los Angeles at 9:00 PM CET. The network notes that Spain has been impenetrable so far, after easily defeating Austria and Portugal, although it points out that Lamine Yamal’s team, which embodies an unpredictable fury, did not start the tournament well, drawing with Cape Verde.
Meanwhile, the French-language public broadcaster RTBF anticipates that Rudi Garcia’s team will have to defy the odds against a historically difficult opponent. In 23 encounters, Belgium has recorded 6 wins, 5 draws, and 12 losses, with five defeats in their last five meetings.
The two teams have faced each other twice in World Cup history: in Mexico 1986, in the quarterfinals, with Belgium advancing on penalties to the semifinals against Argentina; and in Italy 1990, in the group stage, with Spain winning 2-1 in Verona.
The Belgian squad will travel to California in the coming hours to begin preparations for the match against Spain for a place in the semifinals of the international tournament.
Belgium advances.
The Red Devils defeat the United States in the Round of 16 and book their place in the World Cup quarterfinals.
End of the road for the USMNT.
#FIFAWorldCup #Football #Soccer #Belgium #USMNT #KnockoutStage pic.twitter.com/gQLI7BwoaY
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) July 7, 2026
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