Belgium soccer players celebrated their 4-1 victory over the United States in the World Cup on Monday night by mocking Donald Trump with his signature dance. After scoring their fourth goal, the team began imitating the president's stiff, jerky movements often performed at his rallies to the song 'Y.M.C.A.'
Trump Dance Goes Viral
The dance, characterized by Trump's bent arms and clenched fists moving forward and backward while his legs barely move, was captured on video and widely shared on social media. One clip showed the players on the field, while another showed them continuing the dance in the locker room after the match.
The trolling was widely seen as a response to Trump's personal phone call to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, which led to the reversal of a red card that would have kept U.S. star forward Folarin Balogun out of the game. The decision sparked controversy among longtime fans, and Trump's subsequent comments only fueled the backlash.
Reactions and Commentary
Yahoo! Sports writer Kyle Koster defended the players' actions, stating, 'A troll is effective as long as people understand it’s a troll, and even the most Patriotic American shouldn’t have a problem with this.' He added, 'When you trounce someone like the Belgians did, they earned the right to dance.' Koster also humorously critiqued the players' form, noting that 'we are seeing way too many knuckles facing down when it’s well known that the knuckles should be facing up.'
HuffPost reached out to the White House for comment, but no one immediately responded. The incident highlights the intersection of sports and politics, with the Belgian team using their victory to make a pointed statement about Trump's involvement in the tournament.
