Belgium’s players appeared to mock Donald Trump with the president’s trademark dance after knocking the United States out of the World Cup.

The USA were comfortably second best in Seattle as the co-hosts exited the tournament with a sluggish display that saw them beaten 4-1.

The build-up to the round of 16 encounter had been overshadowed by Trump’s apparent role in the suspending of a one-match ban for striker Folarin Balogun, who had been sent off in the win against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

And Belgium appeared to delight in overcoming the USA and Balogun, who started in Seattle, taking a couple of digs at the president as they celebrated reaching the quarter-finals.

Several of their squad appeared to mimic the “Trump dance”, popularised by the president during his successful 2024 presidential campaign, after Romelu Lukaku scored their fourth goal in stoppage time. USA forward Christian Pulisic had previously celebrated a goal against Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League with the dance.

An Instagram post from the official Belgium account showing Lukaku cupping his ear to the crowd was captioned, “overturn this”, in an apparent reference to the Balogun saga.

“A lot has happened off the pitch over the last two days,”said Belgium and Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin.

“There was a sense of injustice within the squad, and we were determined to respond on the field.”

Before the match, the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) had described itself as “astonished” by Fifa’s decision to delay Balogun’s suspension.

Their appeal was dismissed by the governing body, with a disciplinary committee ruling that Belgium were not an interested party as they were not involved in the incident in question.

Belgium will face Spain for a semi-final place in Los Angeles on Friday.

Kylian Mbappé and Paraguay senator Celeste Amarilla (Agency Image)

Paraguay senator Celeste Amarilla has demanded a public apology from France captain Kylian Mbappé and warned she could pursue legal action after the footballer branded her a “despicable woman” over racist remarks she made following Paraguay’s FIFA World Cup exit.The dispute began after Amarilla posted offensive comments on social media following France’s Round of 16 victory over Paraguay, referring to Mbappé as a “colonised Cameroonian” who was “pretending hard to be French, resentful, newly rich, arrogant, and ugly.” She also claimed France “won by a fluke and Mbappe was nervous and scared to death the whole match, like his entire team.”

Kylian Mbappé post

Mbappé responded by calling Amarilla “a despicable woman” who was “unworthy” of serving in Paraguay’s Congress.Amarilla has now issued a lengthy response on X, insisting that her criticism was directed solely at Mbappé and not at France, a country she says she has admired throughout her life.“The problem is between you and me. I’ve never said anything against France; on the contrary, I’m with you. I studied at a French school from the age of two until I was seventeen, and I finished my schooling there. I am who I am thanks to the Collège de l’Inmaculee Concepcion, and I am here because of the education it gave me. We sang La Marseillaise and honored its flag with our own. I speak French and I love visiting France. Last Christmas, I spent it with my family in Courchevel, and we welcomed the New Year in Saint-Tropez. It has nothing to do with France; the problem is with you,” Amarilla wrote.The senator accused Mbappé of disrespecting Paraguay before and during the World Cup encounter, pointing to remarks she interpreted as insulting.“Your arrogance and contempt have been getting on my nerves since before the match, when you said, ‘If we have to get our hands dirty, let’s get dirty.’ We’re not stupid; we understand perfectly well that the dirty stuff was the Paraguayan team, and that we all are the Paraguayan team. Then you said they were going to remove the makeup. We understand that too, that you look so elegant with makeup, and we, poor and rough as we are, don’t even know what it is. All of Paraguay fell silent, myself included. We took it,” she added.Amarilla also alleged that Mbappé displayed poor sportsmanship during and after the match.“During the match, your arrogant behavior was evident, your contempt for each player, as if they were disgusting, and without even covering your mouth, when you said, ‘La concha de tu madre,’ an extremely aggressive phrase in Latin America, and you know it.”She further claimed Mbappé failed to show respect to Paraguay’s goalkeeper after the final whistle.“And finally, you disregarded our goalkeeper’s health. That’s simply unacceptable. Respect between rivals after a match is almost sacred, in war as in peace, in defeat as in victory, and you didn’t shake his hand and you shouted your victory in his face–that’s simply unacceptable. You displayed your contempt, your arrogance, and your poor manners in a single second. It hurt me, it hurt my entire country, and deeply. France should hold you accountable, because it’s a nation of knights, with centuries of history and expertise. France should hold you accountable for your behavior,” she wrote.Amarilla acknowledged that she had since deleted her original post after reflecting on the language she had used.“My posts were filled with boiling blood, that mixed-race blood, that beautiful blend of Indigenous blood with the Spanish blood that flows in my veins. That’s what I wrote about today’s posts when you mocked those immense Paraguayan players who fought on equal terms until the end of the match. However, right away, I regretted mistreating you with the same insults I receive, because I too am despised for being mixed-race and Latina, called dirty. I regretted it and deleted the post. I realized I was repeating patterns I hate, and I deleted it. I understand that it bothered you, because it is humiliating,” she said.Despite that admission, the senator insisted Mbappé must also withdraw his remarks.“Now, I demand that you also retract your statement and apologize to me. I, too, will not tolerate your violence. You don’t know me, you have no idea who I am, and you have no right to say that I am a despicable woman, unworthy of the office I hold. I am a Senator of the Paraguayan Nation, elected by the people. Before that, I was a National Deputy, also elected by the people. Thousands of Paraguayans voted for me and consider me their voice. My primary commitment is to be the voice of the Paraguayan people, to speak out against their silence, and to defend my country with my life. That is what is expected of me,” Amarilla wrote.She continued by defending her democratic mandate.“I represent my country because I was elected in free elections. I was freely elected to make its laws and to be its voice. You have no idea what it means to be elected to defend your country, to be the voice of the people. I was elected National Senator; I don’t know if you realize the importance of my position.”Concluding her statement, Amarilla accused Mbappé of political and gender-based violence and warned that she was considering legal action if he did not apologise.“Who are you to call me unworthy or despicable when you don’t even know me?! Pure and simple gender violence! Political violence against a woman who got where she is with the popular vote of her people. You despise me precisely because of my gender; you offend me precisely because I am a woman. You are not attacking my skin color, my preferences, my status as a woman, or my political position. Retract your statement with me, honor your French citizenship, and apologize, or I may take legal action for gender violence,” Amarilla concluded.

The middle of winter is not usually a launchpad for Coolmore Stud Stakes success, but the Lindsay Park stable is hoping Hard Kick will buck that trend.

The emerging gelding is nearing the start of a campaign that has the $2 million Group 1 sprint for three-year-olds at Flemington on October 31 as its primary target.

Hard Kick, a son of All Too Hard, comfortably won an 800-metre jumpout at Werribee last Friday, following a quiet second in a Flemington jumpout two weeks prior. Co-trainer Will Hayes is enthusiastic about the gelding’s return to racing.

Having made just one previous start, a winning one in the Listed Talindert Stakes (1100m) on February 14, Hard Kick is set to bring a measure of class to Flemington’s final meeting of the season.

“We’re going to look at a 1000-metre option for two-year-olds down the straight on the 18th of July,” Hayes, who trains in partnership with his brothers Ben and JD, said.

“We’re very happy and glad that we erred on the side of caution by not exposing him to the back-up into the (Blue) Diamond, because it’s been the best thing for him going forward.

“I can’t fault him in the way he’s built up, he looks a better version of himself and I think his trial spoke for itself.

“His trial suggests that he’s right where we need him to be.”

Hard Kick is currently rated the $8 third favourite in Coolmore Stud Stakes futures markets, behind only the Golden Slipper winner Guest House ($5) and Ciaron Maher’s highly-rated colt The Next Episode ($6).

“It will be the traditional three-year-old path on the way towards a race like the Coolmore,” Hayes explained.

“We do think he’s a horse that possesses incredible natural speed and we’re going to play to his strengths.”

Compare racing betting markets for the upcoming spring features at leading online bookmakers.

United States’ Malik Tillman (17) celebrates after scoring his side’s opening goal against Belgium. (AP Photo)

Malik Tillman produced a moment of history with another superb direct free-kick at the FIFA World Cup 2026, but it proved to be little consolation as the United States crashed out of the tournament following a comprehensive 4-1 defeat to Belgium in their Round of 16 clash at Seattle’s Lumen Field on Monday.Despite the heartbreaking exit, Tillman etched his name into the record books by becoming the first United States men’s national team player to score multiple direct free-kick goals at a FIFA World Cup in the last 60 years. His stunning 31st-minute strike briefly restored hope for the hosts after Belgium had taken an early lead, but the Red Devils quickly regained control before cruising into the quarter-finals.Belgium will now face Spain in the last eight as they continue their pursuit of a maiden World Cup title.

Tillman’s historic strike sparks hope

The hosts endured a nightmare start when Charles De Ketelaere opened the scoring in the eighth minute, exposing the defensive frailties that had troubled Mauricio Pochettino’s side throughout the tournament.The United States found a route back into the contest just after the half-hour mark. Folarin Balogun, whose controversial red-card suspension had been lifted by FIFA ahead of the match, was brought down around 25 yards from goal by Brandon Mechele.Tillman stepped up and curled a superb free-kick that took a slight deflection off Hans Vanaken before beating Thibaut Courtois, levelling the scores at 1-1. The goal marked his second direct free-kick of the tournament, making him the first American in six decades to achieve the feat at a World Cup.However, the celebrations barely lasted a minute.WATCH:Just 61 seconds after the restart, Belgium restored their advantage as De Ketelaere headed home his second goal of the evening, silencing the home crowd once again.

Belgium punish costly American mistakes

Belgium’s quality and experience ultimately proved too much for the tournament hosts.The Red Devils stretched their lead early in the second half after a costly error from goalkeeper Matt Freese. Attempting to control a long ball, Freese hesitated before inadvertently kicking the ball against De Ketelaere, allowing Vanaken to score from distance after the rebound fell kindly.Belgium continued to dictate proceedings despite the United States introducing fresh attacking options.Romelu Lukaku, introduced in the 67th minute, added the finishing touch in stoppage time after capitalising on Chris Richards’ misplaced pass to score his third goal in as many World Cup appearances.The defeat means the United States have now been eliminated in the Round of 16 in six of their seven appearances at this stage of the World Cup, including each of their last four knockout campaigns.

Vikings Territory Breakdown Archives

In 2018, Joe Johnson, the creator, founder, and former owner of purplePTSD.com and eventually Vikingsterritory.com, put together the sites’ first podcast (with Joe Oberle and Skolt Scott) called the Three Deep podcast. Relatively short-lived, that podcast morphed into the Purple Journal podcast with Joe J., Joe O and Luke Braun, and then became the Morning Joes podcast with Johnson and Oberle on 9-11-18—before later being renamed the Vikings Territory Breakdown Podcast.

In the summer of 2021, we sadly and unexpectedly lost Joe, and the local Vikings media world lost a great voice. After a short time, the Star Tribune’s Mark Craig joined the podcast, and I (Joe O.) jumped into Joe J’s chair to interview him. Now, try as I might to replicate Joe’s spirit and love for the Purple (I can never come close to how he signed off each pod with his signature and unique “Skol?!”—though I do try), he was one of a kind and irreplaceable, and matching his first name is about the best I will ever do.

So, that’s why, five years after we lost the original Purple J.J.—the dreamer, creator and hardest-working podcaster I ever knew—we wanted to bring back that voice from the archives. We are in the doldrums of the NFL offseason, and scheduling conflicts occasionally conspire against our “big shot” talking heads, so we decided to fill in with an inspiring blast from the past. 

All the old pods can still be found online, so why not unearth something to remind us how we got here? Bringing back Joe’s purple-tinged voice is a labor of love for us here, but it also is a fun way to highlight the archives for our listeners, who need a bridge to the next season (and may not want to hear yet another analysis of who is in line for the starting quarterback for the Vikings this season).

Joe Johnson’s sister, Stephanie, and her husband Mike Woldum (the producer of the VT Breakdown podcast) are the site archeologists for the project and have dug deep into the archives. This week, an episode excerpt from the Vikings Territory Breakdown archives that features Joe J. and Joe O. talking with Mike  Tice about winning “ugly”, comparing Justin Jefferson to Randy Moss and Tice’s thoughts on PFF. Joe also talks of one of his most often read pieces, The great Moss v. Rice debate.

The names of the Vikings and the dates being spoken about are certainly different from today, but the spirit and love for the Purple remain. So, tune in and check it out if for no other reason than to hear Joe sign off with his patented questioning Skol. Thanks for listening, and we will be back with the regular VT Breakdown pod very soon.

Joe Oberle is a veteran sportswriter/editor/reporter and has covered the Vikings since 2008. The author of three books, he … More about Joe Oberle

Croatia’s Josko Gvardiol (4) scores a goal against Portugal goalkeeper Diego Costa (1) that was later taken back due to an offside call (AP Photo)

Croatia have formally written to FIFA following their dramatic FIFA World Cup Round of 32 elimination against Portugal, accusing football’s governing body of allowing technology to overstep its role in a match-defining decision.The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) has questioned the use of advanced technology during Portugal’s 2-1 victory, with its complaint centred on the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) process and the use of data generated by the Trionda match ball.The controversy unfolded deep into stoppage time when Joško Gvardiol appeared to have scored an equaliser that would have kept Croatia’s World Cup hopes alive. Although the goal was initially awarded, referee Espen Eskås overturned the decision after an extended VAR review.The offside call was not based on conventional television footage alone. Instead, FIFA’s ball technology detected what officials determined to be a minute touch from Igor Matanović’s hair before the ball reached Gvardiol, changing the offside calculation and resulting in the goal being disallowed.While television replays appeared to show the goal as legitimate, FIFA defended the decision by pointing to the data collected by sensors embedded inside the official match ball.In a statement, FIFA said: “IMU sensors housed within the Trionda ball are capable of determining any slight contact, displayed to viewers in the broadcast as a ‘heartbeat graphic,’ and allowing officials an unprecedented level of data to make fast, accurate decisions.”Croatia, however, believes the incident raises wider concerns about the direction of officiating in football. The federation argues that relying on imperceptible contact detected only through technology goes beyond VAR’s intended purpose and moves away from the principle of correcting only “clear and obvious” errors.The HNS complaint also challenges the decision to award Portugal a second-half penalty, which Cristiano Ronaldo converted in the 68th minute to level the scores.Speaking to RTL Danas, HNS spokesperson Tomislav Pacak explained why the federation had decided to escalate the matter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.“The Croatian Football Association sent a letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino in which we expressed deep disappointment and disagreement with the match with Portugal, not because of the refereeing decisions as such, because they can be discussed after every match, but because of the process itself that led to those decisions.“To begin with, we believe that the VAR protocol was completely incorrectly applied to the penalty kick for Portugal, and the referee should not have been called to review the footage. And more importantly, with Guardiola’s equalizer, Pasalic was awarded offside against the rules and spirit of football due to Matanovic’s non-existent ball play, because the sensor showed so.”Pacak stressed that Croatia is not opposed to technological innovation in football but believes it should not undermine the spirit of the game.“We believe that this is an abuse of technology, which we welcome in football, but we believe that this application is not beneficial to FIFA, teams and football fans, and we know that our letter will not reduce the pain and disappointment of fans and players, but we believe that it is important to warn FIFA and request a detailed explanation of all decisions,” he concluded.FIFA has so far stood by the officiating process and the technology used during the match, but Croatia’s formal complaint has intensified debate over how far technological assistance should influence crucial decisions at football’s biggest tournament.