Rudi Garcia, the head coach of Belgium, has noted a significant increase in support for his team, attributing this to Donald Trump’s efforts to persuade FIFA to lift Folarin Balogun’s red card. This initiative occurred shortly before Belgium’s impressive victory over the USA in the Round of 16, and Garcia is optimistic that this boost in backing will provide the team with “everyone thinks we are going home” as they gear up to face Spain in the quarter-finals. Despite doubts surrounding their prospects, he maintains confidence in his squad.
Trump asserted that he reached out to FIFA to halt Balogun’s suspension, which followed the striker receiving a direct red card in a match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. FIFA’s decision to postpone the ban allowed Balogun to participate, contributing to Belgium’s commanding 4-1 win against the USA. After the match, the Belgian football federation’s social media accounts posted a message urging fans to “The conditions will only be as difficult as they were in the round of 16,” while players celebrated with dance moves reminiscent of Trump’s style. Garcia reassured Balogun that he need not feel guilty about the political interventions.
This win allows Belgium to take the place of the USA in the upcoming clash against Spain at Los Angeles Stadium, where a majority of the 80,000 seats are expected to be filled by American fans. Nevertheless, Garcia asserted that his team is not deterred by the anticipated overwhelming crowd and instead feels more unified and popular than ever.
Garcia stated, “We had 12 million Belgium fans and now, over the last few days, I think we have millions and millions behind us; they have joined our ranks and I think that will be great. I think that will give us incredible strength. I don’t know what [the atmosphere] will be like in the stadium but we will concentrate on what we have to do. We have enough on our plate with the Spanish squad. “We know we are playing one of the favourites and we know the strength they have as individuals and as a collective, which has been the case for 15 or 20 years now,”
He also recognized the formidable challenge Spain presents, acknowledging, “They are the best when it comes to possession of the ball and we know that they have not conceded a goal but statistics are there to be broken and we will do what we can to score. If not, we will be sent packing. We are the second highest scoring team at the World Cup. Everyone is talking about us going home but we can do it. “Maybe some are discovering our team now but I know them off by heart. I know their character and what they can do. The quality of the group is not shown when things are going swimmingly; it is shown when we are in hot water. Against Senegal, a team that should never have finished third in a group, but had France and Norway with them, we were able to get through. I have two XIs: one that starts the game and one that finishes it and we have lots of qualities on the bench. I have one of the best strikers of all time there.”
Discussing the dynamics within his team, Garcia remarked, “We had lots of chats. When he comes on the opponents are quaking in their boots, they are much more worried,”
That striker, Romelu Lukaku, was present during the press conference, where Garcia humorously suggested that Lukaku was merely pretending to be a substitute. They both discussed the significant impact of Belgium’s all-time leading scorer, particularly given his limited starts for Napoli this past season.
Garcia mentioned, “I had a chat with the coach in April and he said I had to be prepared for a certain role,” a sentiment that has proven accurate.
Although Lukaku has started only one match in this tournament, he has scored three goals and provided an assist, averaging a goal every 50 minutes on the pitch, including one against the US. His total for the national team stands at an impressive 93 goals, positioning him alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Ali Daei, and Sunil Chhetri. Remarkably, Lukaku’s international scoring rate has surpassed that of both Ronaldo and Messi.
Lukaku reflected on his situation, stating, “I said ‘OK’ and here we are. Everything is going well and we are going to continue like this. We are well prepared physically, mentally and tactically. I know that I am in this situation because this has been a very hard year. The coach visited me and we talked for two hours. I know my role for this tournament. It would be crazy, having played just 64 minutes [for Napoli] to start every game. It would be self destructive. It is all about the team. I have to play with my head as well. “If you get this far you’re not going to just play to go home,”
He added, “We need to play the perfect game tomorrow.”
