Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever suggested President Donald Trump may be taking the U.S. World Cup defeat to Belgium “hard,” while joking that he wouldn’t be the one to bring it up when the two meet.
Speaking to Flemish public broadcaster VRT News, De Wever said congratulations on Belgium’s victory have become the first thing people mention to him at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
“Everyone’s talking about one thing, and that is congratulations for the well-deserved victory of the Red Devils,” he said. “Of course, the losing party is also present. That also happens to be the biggest partner in NATO.”
Asked whether he was worried Trump could be upset by the result, De Wever quipped that the president “has the reputation of sometimes reacting a bit irritably to things that he doesn’t like, and I think this defeat will hit hard.”
Still, De Wever said he had no plans to needle Trump. “I’m not going to start about it myself,” he said. “But if he were to say something about it, then I’ll see what that is and how I can react to it.”
The exchange comes after the White House mounted an extraordinary effort to keep U.S. striker Folarin Balogun eligible for the knockout match against Belgium.
After Balogun was shown a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Trump personally called FIFA President Gianni Infantino while senior Trump administration officials and U.S. Soccer made the case to FIFA to overturn the automatic one-match suspension.
FIFA ultimately lifted the ban, allowing Balogun to play — a highly unusual move that prompted the Royal Belgian Football Association to explore legal options and fueled criticism from European football governing body UEFA over the perception of political influence on an ostensibly independent disciplinary process. Belgium ultimately won anyway on Monday in dominant fashion, eliminating the U.S.
White House FIFA World Cup Task Force Executive Director Andrew Giuliani praised the U.S. team despite the 4-1 defeat.
“Obviously it was disappointing the way the U.S. team played last night,” Giuliani said on Fox News. “But … at the end of this match they all gathered together afterwards, thanked the fans and prayed together. I think that shows the character of these men. To go through a moment like that in their career and do that — it’s a great group of men.”
Giuliani also defended the administration’s involvement in the Balogun case, arguing that Trump’s intervention was aimed at ensuring fair play rather than influencing the outcome.
“There’s a lot of politics in soccer. When you think about all the money and power on the line, there might be more politics in the world of soccer than there is in Washington, D.C.,” Giuliani said. “President Trump is squarely focused on making sure that everything is fair with regard to everything happening on the ballot box or anything happening on the pitch, and that is why he has been such a great leader throughout this incredible World Cup.”
Emilio Perez Ibarguen contributed to this report.