Following their commanding 4-1 victory over the United States men's national team (USMNT) in the World Cup knockout stage, the official X account for Belgium issued a blunt two-word message directed at the Americans: "Overturn this."
The post, accompanied by a photo of Belgian star Romelu Lukaku celebrating, appeared to be a retort to recent controversies surrounding player eligibility in the tournament.
Earlier in the week, USMNT player Folarin Balogun's one-game suspension was temporarily lifted by FIFA, allowing him to participate in the Round of 16 match. This decision reportedly received assistance from President Trump. The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) expressed its strong disapproval of the ruling, stating it had not received official grounds for the decision or the requested documentation. The RBFA asserted that this action potentially violated FIFA regulations and indicated it would reserve further actions if Balogun was listed on the referee's team sheet.
Belgium established an early lead in the match when Charles De Ketelaere scored just nine minutes into the game. Although Malik Tillman equalized for the USMNT with a direct kick in the 31st minute, De Ketelaere quickly restored Belgium's advantage two minutes later. Hans Vanaken extended Belgium's lead to 3-1 following a misstep by US goalkeeper Matt Freese. Lukaku sealed the victory with a goal in stoppage time.
With this loss, the USMNT's World Cup campaign concluded, while Belgium advanced to face Spain in the quarterfinals.