Youri Tielemans admitted Belgium were fired up for their World Cup clash with the United States because of the controversy involving Donald Trump and FIFA’s decision over Folarin Balogun before kick-off.
Controversy Over Balogun's Eligibility
Balogun started for the United States in the last-16 tie after a one-match ban he incurred for being sent off during a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the previous round was controversially suspended by FIFA. US President Trump revealed he had asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review the situation.
Belgium, who had angrily appealed against the decision to allow Monaco striker Balogun to play, won 4-1 to reach the quarter-finals where they will face Spain. Captain Tielemans made it clear the situation had galvanised the players.
Players Respond on the Pitch
"We told ourselves we had to respond on the pitch. That's what we did," said the Aston Villa man. Belgium players also appeared to mock Trump, with several of them mimicking his trademark dance moves after their fourth goal. The team's official X account also mocked FIFA and the US President after Romelu Lukaku’s goal with a post: "Overturn this."
Team Performance and Quarter-Final Outlook
“I’m very happy, very proud of the team, but most importantly I’m proud of the performance, the shift that we put in today," added Tielemans. “Every single player gave it all out there. We put the intensity, we put the quality at times when it was needed and we were very compact defensively, then our subs made a difference as well when they came on. It was a proper team performance, very happy with that."
“We know Spain is a tough, tough opponent like we’ve faced before. The USA today was a big opponent as well. They’ve had a great World Cup, but today we showed that we are ready and we want to perform. We want to go further, so against Spain, we’ll be no different."
