Joy swept across Belgium as fans celebrated the national team’s impressive 4-1 victory against the USA in a World Cup match, a contest overshadowed by Donald Trump’s attempts to sway a contentious player suspension.
Although Prime Minister Bart De Wever has not yet made any public remarks about the team’s achievement, a humorous post from his cat’s official Instagram account provided a subtle, indirect acknowledgment. The photo depicted Maximus, De Wever’s cat, reclining on a rug alongside a soft toy that resembled the US president, with a speech bubble saying, “I slept really well last night. And you?” in Dutch.
Managed by De Wever’s team, Maximus’s Instagram account frequently offers ironic political commentary, referencing various figures and events.
Despite the match starting at 2 a.m. local time on Tuesday, many Belgian supporters donned the national colors of red, yellow, and black, gathering in large numbers to watch the game. Jens Boden, a 23-year-old fan, shared his excitement, stating, “The Belgian national team is our national pride, so we have to support them, even at night,” while attending a viewing party in Kalmthout, near the Dutch border. Reports from Kalmthout noted that the crowd booed images of the US team and Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s president, who lifted the suspension of Falorin Balogun after Trump’s lobbying. In Brussels, some fans even set fire to an American flag.
Philippe Albert, a former Belgian defender and Newcastle United player, described the Red Devils’ win as “a real slap in the face for Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino”
“They tried to destabilise a little country, but Belgium has shown that it has a big heart,”
Albert, now a football commentator, stated to the Francophone daily Le Soir. “Despite a far-from-optimal preparation the Devils all responded.”
Following the match, the national team’s social media account shared a message that read “the king, the national football team, some beers” which quickly gained traction online. Videos showcasing the players’ exuberant celebrations, including their playful reenactment of Trump’s dance moves, also attracted considerable attention. After Romelu Lukaku scored the final goal, the team celebrated by mimicking Trump’s awkward arm movements to the tune of YMCA. Midfielder Axel Witsel remarked to the Dutch public broadcaster VRT that the celebration was a collaborative effort.
Social media was flooded with memes commemorating Belgium’s victory, featuring everything from altered images of a downcast Trump with his face painted in the national colors to the iconic Manneken Pis statue in Brussels appearing to urinate into a green Lincoln Memorial reflection pool, a humorous nod to recent renovation issues at the US landmark.
The match’s outcome came just ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, where both De Wever and Trump are anticipated to be present. However, De Wever may encounter uncomfortable conversations, as Belgium has historically been one of NATO’s least generous contributors to defense spending. Although the country has pledged to meet NATO’s 5% GDP defense spending target, recent reports indicate that Belgium will allocate only 1.93% of its GDP to defense by 2029.
While discussions about defense spending may be fraught with political tension, football has consistently served as a unifying force in Belgium, a nation of 11.9 million people with three official languages and six parliaments.
Two decades ago, a former Belgian prime minister famously characterized the nation as “May fair-play and the best team prevail tonight: come on Belgium!” sharing only “the king, the national football team, some beers.”
Reports suggest that King Philippe intends to travel to Los Angeles to support the team during their quarter-final match against Spain on Friday. Before the game, the monarchy’s X account shared a photo of King Philippe appearing to converse with national coach Rudi Garcia, alongside a message that read, “May fair-play and the best team prevail tonight: come on Belgium!”
