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Belgian Prime Minister Appears To Slip In A Trump World Cup Zinger During NATO Meeting
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Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever appeared to take a subtle swipe at Donald Trump during the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday, over the president’s highly controversial intervention in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. While discussing NATO’s forthcoming $80 billion military aid package for Ukraine, De Wever spoke of the message it would send to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Trump was seated at the same table. “This is also a very strong ‘red card’ to Putin,” De Wever said, according to The Associated Press. Then he added: “You can’t just take back a red card. You know that.” The remark appeared to reference Trump’s admitted request that FIFA review U.S. striker Folarin Balogun’s red-card suspension ahead of the Americans’ Round of 16 clash with Belgium. FIFA ultimately overturned the suspension, but Belgium still cruised to a 4-1 victory, with Belgian players later trolling Trump through their goal celebrations, in the locker room after the game and on social media. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.