Belgium’s message to Trump: ‘Dear Mister President, greetings from Belgium’

In the neon glow of Lumen Field, the Belgian squad delivered a statement that resonated far beyond Seattle. The message, addressed to President Donald J. Trump, was simple: ‘Dear Mister President, greetings from Belgium.’ The scoreboard read Team USA 1 - Belgium 4, a result that silenced critics and silenced the noise surrounding Folarin Balogun’s controversial suspension. Belgium’s head coach Rudi Garcia, flanked by Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Jérémy Doku, watched as his team advanced to the World Cup quarter-finals. Two weeks earlier, the mood in Belgium’s camp had been markedly different. Doku had rushed to London for the birth of his son, Garcia faced intense scrutiny, and the team had ground out a draw in their final group match. Football’s global audience mocked Belgium’s struggles. The turning point came with a decision that shocked the sport. FIFA’s handling of Balogun’s suspension—later overturned amid allegations of external interference—sparked outrage. Even Zlatan Ibrahimović joked that he had fallen asleep watching the chaos unfold. The world watched as Belgium’s football federation issued fiery statements, while Garcia and his players retreated into their own bubble to refine their gameplan. The coach’s boldest move arrived on the night itself. Lukaku, Doku and De Bruyne all started on the bench, a tactical surprise that left Seattle stunned. The USA, managed by Mauricio Pochettino, offered little resistance. Their passing broke down under pressure, and Belgium capitalised with clinical precision.

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Charles De Ketelaere struck the opener, before Lukaku doubled the lead. After a lucky equaliser from the hosts, Johan Bakayoko and Lukaku restored Belgium’s advantage with two more goals. The celebrations were unrestrained—Lukaku’s iconic gesture behind his ear a defiant response to the FIFA-Trump controversy. Yet the victory did not erase the injustice. FIFA’s actions violated its own regulations, and the sight of Belgian FA president Pascale Van Damme sitting beside Gianni Infantino in the stands only deepened the sense of impropriety. The case of Balogun remains unresolved, its resolution now a matter for the courts. Belgium’s path to the quarter-finals has been anything but smooth. They scraped through the group stage, edged past Senegal in a dramatic knockout, and now face the reigning European champions. On Friday night, they will meet Spain, led by teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.

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For a nation still buzzing from the win, the timing could not be better. As Average Rob—flown in for the occasion—put it: ‘Belgium, together vollenbak. Belgium, samen uit ons dak.’ One final message remains to be sent. Whether by phone or postcard, the words are already written: ‘Dear Mister President, greetings from Belgium.’