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Belgium's latest FIFA World Cup meeting with the United States generated headlines long after the final whistle.
From Thibaut Courtois' outspoken comments on Folarin Balogun's overturned suspension to Belgium's official social media account delivering a viral response, the country's newspapers also hailed both the players and head coach Rudi Garcia after a memorable night.
What happened in the match? Which reactions stood out? The Sporting News rounds up the best responses.
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What happened in USA vs. Belgium game?
Belgium booked its place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals with a commanding 4-1 victory over the United States, punishing a string of defensive mistakes to end the Americans' tournament run.
Charles De Ketelaere opened the scoring before Malik Tillman gave the United States hope when his free-kick found the net via a deflection. However, De Ketelaere restored Belgium's lead just before halftime, putting the Red Devils back in control.
The United States' defensive problems continued after the break, with a costly goalkeeping error gifting Hans Vanaken Belgium's third goal before Romelu Lukaku added a late fourth to complete the rout.
The best reactions from Belgium team and media after thrashing USA
Belgium's performance quickly became the talking point back home, with newspapers, players and the national team's official social media channels all weighing in after the final whistle.
From viral posts and bold headlines to outspoken comments from Courtois and widespread praise for head coach Garcia, here are some of the standout reactions.
"Thanks for the motivation, Trump"
Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad took aim at U.S. President Donald Trump after the Red Devils' victory, running the headline: "Thanks for the motivation, Trump."
The outlet suggested the controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun's overturned suspension and Trump's public backing of the United States only added extra motivation for Belgium before kickoff, with the emphatic victory providing the perfect response on the pitch.
"As if stung by a wasp"
Belgian outlet Het Laatste Nieuws said Belgium reacted "as if stung by a wasp" after the pre-game controversy, starting the game in dominant fashion. It also praised their response after Malik Tillman's deflected free-kick briefly gave the United States hope, pointing to De Ketelaere's goal before halftime as the moment the Red Devils regained control.
"Overturn this"
Belgium's official X account joined in after the final whistle, posting "Overturn this" in an apparent reference to the controversy around Balogun's suspended ban before the match.
Overturn this. 🧏♂️ #USABEL pic.twitter.com/KcBAJp3Z7d
— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) July 7, 2026"I just laugh. Senegal are better than USA"
Courtois also weighed in on the controversy around Balogun, saying he "just laughed" when he heard the news and claiming he had been more confident facing the United States than Senegal, whom he described as the stronger team.
🗣️| 🇧🇪 Thibaut Courtois:
"I read that (the Balogun case) and laugh with it. I felt more certain that we were going to win than against Senegal, because Senegal is a better team than the US."
Belgium players celebrate with Donald Trump dance
Belgium's players broke into the viral Donald Trump dance as part of the celebrations following Lukaku's fourth goal, adding another light-hearted moment to the Red Devils' emphatic victory.
"From eccentric to master strategist"
Het Nieuwsblad reserved special praise for Belgium head coach Garcia, describing his transformation "from eccentric to master strategist." The newspaper argued that Garcia, who had faced criticism earlier in the tournament, silenced his doubters with a tactically disciplined performance that guided the Red Devils comfortably past the United States.
"It's called FOOTBALL."
Belgium's official X account celebrated after the final whistle, posting "It's called FOOTBALL" in a tongue-in-cheek message aimed at the United States.
It”s called s̶o̶c̶c̶e̶r̶ 𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐓𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋. 😎 #USABEL #ScoredWithING pic.twitter.com/npWPnchKTa
— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) July 7, 2026Garcia praises Balogun
Garcia reserved some words of comfort for Balogun, praising the striker for his attitude given the furore around his availability.
The Belgium coach insisted the player was not to blame for the pre-match controversy and appreciated his humility in defeat.
"Balogun came to talk to me," said Garcia. "I liked that. It's not his fault — he's not the one to blame. I told him that. I appreciate he came to talk to me."
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