Iran's national football team took a playful jab at the United States following Belgium's emphatic 4-1 victory over the hosts in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16. The official Instagram account of the Iran football team shared a screenshot juxtaposing Belgium's 4-1 win against the USA with Belgium's goalless group-stage draw against Iran, accompanied by the caption: "Dance with me!"
Social Media Reaction and Belgium's Taunts
The post quickly gained traction on social media, with many interpreting it as a light-hearted mockery of the United States after its elimination from the tournament. Earlier, the Belgian Red Devils had also taken to Instagram with a story captioned "Overturn this," appearing to taunt the hosts following their convincing victory that secured a quarter-final berth. Belgium further fueled the banter on X (formerly Twitter) by wading into the long-running "football" versus "soccer" debate, posting: "It's called soccer FOOTBALL."
FIFA's Eligibility Ruling and Match Summary
FIFA had earlier dismissed Belgium's challenge regarding the eligibility of United States forward Folarin Balogun, after world football's governing body suspended his one-match ban ahead of the Round of 16 clash. Balogun had received a red card in the 64th minute of the USA's 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32. In the match itself, Belgium stormed into the quarter-finals with a commanding 4-1 win at Seattle Stadium. Charles De Ketelaere starred with a brace, earning the Player of the Match award, while Hans Vanaken scored his first-ever FIFA World Cup goal. Substitute Romelu Lukaku added a stoppage-time strike, marking his third consecutive World Cup match with a goal.
Match Details and Impact
Belgium dominated much of the contest, despite the USA briefly equalising through Malik Tillman's deflected free-kick. A costly goalkeeping error by Matt Freese allowed Belgium to extend their lead before Lukaku sealed the emphatic win late on. The defeat ended the United States' campaign, making them the last of the three co-host nations to exit the tournament, after Canada and Mexico. Belgium will next face Spain in the quarter-finals on July 10, following Spain's victory over Portugal in the Round of 16.
