Kathrine Frich
International observers found the fallout hilarious.
When politics and sports collide, the fallout is rarely quiet.
Fans love a fierce rivalry on the pitch, but they love spectacular drama off the field even more. This week, the biggest loser of a major global tournament did not even lace up a pair of boots.
A premature celebration
In a surprise move, football officials cleared American forward Folarin Balogun to play. They lifted his red card suspension moments before the game.
The United States faced Belgium in a crucial World Cup knockout match. Before the players even stepped onto the grass, Donald Trump weighed in on the major refereeing controversy.
The US president rushed to his Truth Social platform to take credit. “Thank you FIFA for doing what is right and righting a great injustice!” he posted, according to O2.
Doing the rally dance
Things went completely wrong for the hosts on the grass. Belgium completely dismantled the American squad. They cruised to a heavy victory, winning by four goals to one.
The European players clearly knew about the political noise. So, after scoring their final goal, the squad celebrated by performing Trump’s famous campaign rally dance for the cameras.
Footage of the routine exploded across social platforms. It was brutal. Global news outlets picked up the clip, and the politician instantly became an international punchline.
The Belgian national team account on X joined the pile on. “Turn it around,” they wrote underneath a picture of the final goal.
Feline political trolling
The joke quickly spread far beyond the stadium. It reached the highest levels of European government within hours. Even the Belgian prime minister’s furry companion got involved in the digital roasting.
An Instagram account dedicated to Bart De Wever’s cat shared a bizarre picture. Maximus the cat was photographed hugging a small Trump toy. The caption read, “No hard feelings.”
Meanwhile, fans on Reddit started calling the governing body “Fix It For America.” It became a massive meme. Critics joked that officials were desperate to save the host nation.
Changing the final score
International observers found the fallout hilarious. Polish sports journalist Przemysław Rudzki wrote a viral parody of a classic presidential speech to mock the situation.
He joked that the leader would try to change the match result by executive decree. “The official result is: USA 4, Belgium 1. If someone doesn’t like it… they shouldn’t have shot at America,” Rudzki wrote.
Ordinary fans offered brutal assessments. One widely shared comment noted that “Everything Trump touches turns into a disaster.”
Another spectator pointed out that political influence means nothing on a grass pitch. One user wrote that the politician “forgot about the universal law of sport” and reminded him that the “ball don’t lie.”
Sources: O2, Instagram, X, Reddit
