Belgian PM says he didn't discuss World Cup row with Trump

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever asserted that football was not a topic of discussion with U.S. President Donald Trump during a recent NATO summit. Responding to media inquiries about whether the controversial World Cup match between Belgium and the U.S. was discussed at a leaders' dinner, De Wever stated, "Believe it or not, we did not talk about football." He characterized football as "the most important of the unimportant matters" and indicated it was not significant enough for him to bring up.

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Believe it or not, we did not talk about football.

The match in question, an octavos de final World Cup game, concluded with a 1-4 victory for Belgium. The game was preceded by a scandal involving FIFA's decision to reinstate U.S. forward Folarin Balogun, who had been red-carded in a previous match. Reports suggested that Trump had intervened with FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the disciplinary action against Balogun. This intervention drew widespread global criticism, including from the Belgian football federation and the Belgian foreign minister, who deemed the decision "incomprehensible."

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We have important matters to discuss, and football is considered the most important of the unimportant matters. I don't think it's important so I didn't bring it up.

Following Belgium's decisive win, the Belgian team and federation engaged in playful taunts directed at the controversy. Messages were posted on the official Belgian football federation account, and players celebrated by mimicking Trump's characteristic dance moves. This response highlighted the lingering tension and the Belgian team's amusement over the perceived U.S. influence on the match.

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incomprehensible