▲ Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever
The Prime Minister of Belgium, which soundly defeated the United States in the Round of 16 of the North and Central American World Cup, said that U.S. President Donald Trump would likely be struggling with his country's defeat, but added that he would not bring up the match first if they were to meet.
According to the European edition of Politico on July 7 (local time), Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said in an interview with Belgian public broadcaster VRT that the first thing other leaders say to him at the NATO summit is to congratulate him on Belgium's victory over the U.S.
Prime Minister De Wever, who is staying in Ankara, Turkey, to attend the NATO summit, said, "Everyone is congratulating me on the well-deserved victory of the 'Red Devils,'" adding, "Of course, the losing side is also here. Coincidentally, that country is also NATO's biggest partner."
The 'Red Devils' is the nickname for the Belgian national football team.
When asked how he thinks U.S. President Donald Trump would take the result of the match, Prime Minister De Wever said, "(President Trump) has a reputation for often reacting irritably to things he does not like," adding, "I think this defeat will come as quite a shock."
However, he added, "I will not be the one to bring it up first," but noted, "If he says something, I will think about how to respond based on what he says."
Belgium easily defeated the U.S. 4-1 to advance to the quarterfinals in the 2026 World Cup Round of 16 match held in Seattle, Washington, on July 6 (local time), led by a multi-goal performance from Charles De Ketelaere.
Although President Trump went as far as to call FIFA President Gianni Infantino directly to request a suspension of the red card penalty for U.S. striker Folarin Balogun, who had been disciplined in a previous match, to allow him to start, the U.S. could not overcome the wall that was Belgium.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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