Kathrine Frich
The silent treatment did not entirely prevent friction.
International summits usually focus on trade deals, borders, and global security.
But sometimes, the biggest threat to diplomatic harmony has nothing to do with politics. A simple sports score can send an entire conference into lockdown mode.
Walking on eggshells
European leaders arrived at the NATO summit in Ankara with a clear warning. They were told to avoid any mention of the World Cup around Donald Trump.
The US president was reportedly furious after the American football team crashed out of the tournament. The squad suffered a heavy defeat against Belgium, and allies feared the result could spark a political outburst.
One official confirmed the strategy to the Daily Mail. “The leaders have agreed not to mention the football because it’s obvious that Trump is already in a bad mood about it. Everyone just wants to get through this without antagonising him any more,” a diplomatic source said.
Trouble on the pitch
The tension started days before the summit began. Trump personally contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to help US striker Folarin Balogun.
The intervention successfully overturned a red card suspension. This cleared the player for the crucial knockout match against the Belgians.
The move sparked outrage in Europe. But the political favor did not help the US team on the grass, as they lost by four goals to one.
Belgian players celebrated by mocking the US leader’s signature rally dance. The winning squad also posted a sharp message online, simply stating, “Overturn this”.
A careful prime minister
Despite the massive sporting rivalry, politicians chose caution. Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever confirmed he avoided the topic completely during the summit.
De Wever noted that Trump “has the reputation of sometimes reacting a bit irritably to things that he doesn’t like, and I think this defeat will hit hard.”
He kept his focus on global security. “We didn’t speak about football. We have important matters to discuss, and football is, as they say, the most important of the non-important subjects, but it is still non-important, so I didn’t raise the subject,” the prime minister explained.
He added that the US remains his nation’s strongest ally, even when the president criticizes the defense alliance.
Looking to the future
The silent treatment did not entirely prevent friction. Trump still criticized the alliance and brought up his desire to annex Greenland from Denmark.
Now, military leaders are reportedly changing their long-term plans. Officials plan to skip the upcoming summit in Albania.
According to the Daily Mail, the bloc will likely wait until 2029 for its next major gathering. They hope to delay future meetings until Trump leaves the White House.
Sources: Daily Mail
