CARSON, Calif. — The jubilant post-match dances, playful taunts and triumphant social media posts have been set aside. After securing a dominant 4-1 knockout stage win over host nation the United States on Monday in Seattle, Belgium’s Red Devils have shifted fully into preparation mode as they aim to extend their deep World Cup run on American soil.
The squad held closed training sessions in the Los Angeles area Wednesday, still carrying momentum from two consecutive knockout stage wins that have defied early expectations. They opened their knockout run with a dramatic comeback victory over Senegal, followed by a thorough dismantling of the Americans, and now face their highest-stakes test yet: a quarterfinal showdown Friday against undefeated, tournament favorite Spain, who have yet to concede a single goal throughout the competition.
For Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, this unpredictable, rollercoaster World Cup campaign has forged a new mental grit and collective belief within the squad that he believes can carry them past Spain.
“We came into the game against the U.S. knowing it would be an enormous battle,” Courtois told reporters at LA Galaxy’s suburban training stadium. “They were the home side, playing in front of a sold-out crowd fully behind them, so to put in a strong performance both defensively and offensively, sticking to our game plan, that gave the whole group a huge confidence boost.”
Belgium entered the U.S. match fueled by widespread indignation, after FIFA controversially lifted a one-game red card suspension for star American forward Folarin Balogun, a decision that came after former U.S. President Donald Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to demand a review of the suspension. The Red Devils turned that frustration into on-pitch dominance, outclassing the American side and celebrating their win exuberantly both on the pitch and in the locker room after the final whistle.
The most viral moment of the celebration came when multiple Belgian players performed a simplified dance long associated with Trump, a routine that has been adopted by athletes across global sports in recent months — including American star Christian Pulisic.
When asked about the timing and meaning of the dance following Trump’s intervention in the Balogun suspension, Belgian left back Diego Moreira offered a low-key explanation through an interpreter. “There are so many different ways to celebrate a goal or a win,” Moreira said. “You can try different dances, and that’s just what we did. We were simply celebrating a big win after the game.”
Courtois, who was undergoing mandatory doping control immediately after the match and was not present for the locker room celebration, declined to comment on the dance.
After arriving in the Los Angeles area for their quarterfinal match at SoFi Stadium, the Red Devils confirmed the celebratory chapter is fully closed, and all focus is now on Spain. The squad did, however, retain a bit of friction with their hosts on Wednesday: they received FIFA approval to relocate their training base after concluding their originally assigned fields at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles failed to meet the team’s basic preparation standards, per an official statement from the Royal Belgian Football Association.
Heading into Friday’s match, Belgium enters as the clear underdog against a dominant Spanish side. That underdog status suits the Red Devils just fine, as their best performances of the tournament have come when the odds were stacked against them — most notably their stunning 3-2 comeback win over Senegal, where they fought back from a 2-0 first-half deficit to claim victory.
When asked about matching up against the Spanish powerhouse, Courtois immediately drew a parallel to Belgium’s iconic 2-1 upset victory over Brazil at the 2018 Russia World Cup. That win sent the Red Devils to their first World Cup semifinal in 32 years, and proved they can topple tournament favorites when it counts.
“Back in 2018, Brazil were heavy favorites against us, widely regarded as having more individual talent across their squad,” Courtois said. “But right now, I think this group is incredibly strong collectively, and we never stop fighting. The Senegal match showed exactly that: we keep believing until the final whistle, and that’s one of our biggest strengths at a tournament like this. At the World Cup, winning is the only thing that matters. Playing well is a nice bonus, but the priority is picking up a win and staying in the competition — and that’s exactly what we’ve done so far.”