In the high-stakes environment of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16, a post-goal celebration sparked new conversation around the intersection of sports and global politics, after Belgium’s national team mimicked U.S. President Donald Trump’s iconic signature dance moments after scoring their fourth goal against the United States. The gesture came on the heels of pre-match controversy, when Trump personally intervened to overturn a red card suspension for star American striker Folarin Balogun, leaving many to speculate the Belgian celebration was a deliberate act of mockery.
This viral dance routine – defined by loose hip sways, sharp upward fist pumps, and occasional playful nods to Trump’s well-known golf swing – has exploded into a global sports trend ever since Trump’s 2024 presidential election victory over Kamala Harris. What began as a niche political ritual has quickly spread across leagues and continents, adopted by athletes for reasons ranging from lighthearted trend-chasing to overt political endorsement.
Weeks after the 2024 election result was confirmed, the celebration crossed over into mainstream sports when American NFL star Nick Bosa and his San Francisco 49ers teammates performed the dance on the field after a game. This was not Bosa’s first brush with political controversy linked to Trump: the linebacker was previously fined by the NFL for wearing a pro-Trump branded hat during a post-match television interview. Bosa’s celebration was quickly replicated across the NFL by high-profile players including Brock Bowers, Calvin Ridley, and Za’Darius Smith, and the trend trickled down to college football rosters as well.
It was not long before the trend expanded beyond American football. American men’s national team star Christian Pulisic broke out the dance after scoring a goal in a Concacaf Nations League match against Jamaica, while mixed martial arts legend Jon Jones performed it in front of Trump himself after retaining his UFC heavyweight title at Madison Square Garden in New York. Jones openly tied the gesture to Trump, telling the crowd: “I want to say a big, big thank you to President Donald Trump for being here. What do you guys think about my version of the Donald Trump?” Trump later reposted a clip of the celebration to his Truth Social platform, embracing the viral moment.
The trend has also gone truly global, with athletes across different sports putting their own spin on the routine. British professional golfer Charley Hull was spotted performing the dance during an LPGA Tour event, while English EFL side Barnsley did the same after scoring against Cambridge United. Even outside of explicit political gestures, many athletes have joined in simply to ride the wave of a viral social media trend that took off on platforms like TikTok.
Athlete motivations for performing the dance vary widely, which has kept debate around the gesture alive. Pulisic was quick to distance his version of the dance from politics, telling reporters after the Jamaica match: “I saw everyone doing it in the NFL, I saw Jon Jones do it, and we were just having a bit of fun. Obviously, that’s the ‘Trump Dance’ but it was just a dance that everyone was doing.”
League officials have also taken a hands-off approach to the trend so far. The NFL has publicly stated it has no plans to discipline players for performing the celebration, noting that it does not qualify as an overt political statement. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told Front Office Sports there was “no issue” with the “celebratory dance”, clearing the way for players to continue using the gesture after touchdowns and other big plays. As the World Cup continues, the Belgium team’s gesture has cemented the Trump Dance as one of the most talked-about cultural crossovers of the 2026 global tournament.