‘Turn it over’: Belgium wild post after crushing USA to reach FIFA World Cup quarter-finals

Belgian Romelu Lukaku (9) celebrates his team’s fourth goal. (AP photo) Belgium poured salt into the wounds of the United States after knocking out the co-hosts from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, celebrating their emphatic 4-1 victory in the round of 16 with a pair of cheeky social media posts that quickly went viral.The Belgian Red Devils appeared to take direct aim at the controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun’s overturned suspension, posting a scathing message on Instagram shortly after the final whistle.

The “Flip it” post has gone viral

Following their spectacular win in Seattle, Belgium shared an Instagram story that simply read: “Turn it over.”The remark was widely interpreted as a sarcastic dig at FIFA’s decision to suspend Balogun’s automatic one-match ban just a day before the knockout clash. Balogun received a red card during the United States’ Round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, prompting an automatic suspension. However, FIFA later invoked Article 27 of its disciplinary code to suspend the ban for a one-year trial period, allowing the forward to start against Belgium.READ ALSO: After all the drama… Balogun’s controversial FIFA suspension ends in heartbreak at the World Cup with little impactThe decision sparked widespread criticism across the football world, with the Belgian FA unsuccessfully challenging Balogun’s fitness before kick-off.Belgium didn’t stop there.The Red Devils also reignited the long-running ‘soccer’ versus ‘soccer’ debate by posting on X: “It’s called FOOTBALL.”The playful strike drew immediate reactions from fans, especially after Belgium’s convincing win ended the hosts’ World Cup campaign.

Belgium dominate despite Balogun controversy

On the pitch, Belgium ensured the pre-match controversy became little more than a footnote with a clinical performance.Charles De Ketelaere produced a Player of the Match display, scoring twice and adding an assist as Belgium booked their place in the quarter-finals. Hans Vanaken scored his first World Cup goal, while substitute Romelu Lukaku completed the scoring in stoppage time with his third World Cup goal in a row.The United States threatened briefly when Malik Tillman’s deflected free kick leveled the scores in the first half, but Belgium responded almost immediately and took complete control after the break.A costly mistake by goalkeeper Matt Freese gave Belgium a third goal and Lukaku capitalized on a late defensive error to wrap up an emphatic victory.READ ALSO: Romelu Lukaku scripted a unique piece of World Cup history with a super-sub performance as Belgium ended the USA dreamBalogun, whose availability dominated the pre-kick-off headlines, failed to justify the attention surrounding FIFA’s decision. The forward, who entered the game with three tournament goals, helped win the free-kick from which Tillman equalized, but then struggled to influence the game before being substituted later in the game.The defeat ended the United States’ hopes of reaching the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2002 and made them the last of the three co-host nations to exit the tournament, after Canada and Mexico.