Belgium eliminated co-hosts United States from the FIFA World Cup with a commanding 4-1 victory in Seattle, then turned the knife — mocking US President Donald Trump and FIFA's governing body in the aftermath of one of the tournament's most politically charged build-ups.

Charles De Ketelaere struck twice in the first half, with Hans Vanaken and Romelu Lukaku adding goals after the break to send Belgium into a quarter-final against Spain. The result was emphatic, but it was the celebrations that made the biggest headlines.

The 'Overturn This' moment

After Belgium's fourth goal, several players mimicked Donald Trump's trademark dance moves on the pitch. The team's official account on X then posted a message that left nothing to the imagination — a direct reference to the overturning of Folarin Balogun's red card: "Overturn this."

The controversy had dominated the days before the match. Trump publicly confirmed he had personally asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review Balogun's dismissal against Bosnia and Herzegovina. FIFA's disciplinary committee subsequently suspended the automatic one-match ban, allowing Balogun to face Belgium. UEFA had condemned the decision, stating FIFA had "crossed a red line" and put the "integrity of the game at stake."

Belgium felt a sense of injustice

Midfielder Nicolas Raskin said the squad carried a collective grievance into the match. "A lot has happened off the pitch over the last two days," Raskin said. "There was a sense of injustice within the squad, and we were determined to respond on the field."

Captain Youri Tielemans echoed his teammate's words. "We told ourselves we had to respond on the pitch. That's what we did," he said. Head coach Rudi Garcia added that the off-field noise ultimately served as fuel, telling reporters that his group is "very mature" and focused on their own game plan above all else.

Garcia also showed grace toward Balogun after the final whistle. "He came to talk after the game. I really liked that. It's not his fault, he's not the one to blame — and that's what I told him," the Belgium manager said.

Pochettino: politics overshadowed USA's campaign

United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino refused to use the Balogun controversy as an excuse, but made clear his personal frustration at how politics had intruded on his side's World Cup. "It didn't affect our performance. It's not an excuse. It wasn't our day," Pochettino told the BBC.

"I feel disappointed with too many people. They put politics and manipulation, talk about ethics and integrity. If we talk about the history of this game, I am disappointed in a personal way," he added. Defender Tim Ream was equally measured. "No, it had no impact," Ream said. "We've done a good job with this group of allowing outside noise to be outside noise."

Infantino faces calls to resign — but shows no sign of leaving

FIFA president Infantino is facing mounting pressure to step down, including from Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey, who said: "Infantino must go. No matter where it is held, the World Cup belongs to the fans." Infantino, however, has given no indication he intends to resign. He has held the FIFA presidency for 10 years and is widely expected to stand for re-election in 2027.

With the backing of the African, Asian, and South American football confederations — who collectively hold 111 of FIFA's 211 member-association votes — Infantino is likely to be returned to office unopposed. FIFA maintained throughout the episode that their disciplinary committee operates independently and that Infantino played no role in the decision to suspend Balogun's ban.