[Saba Sports News] In the World Cup Round of 16, Belgium beat the United States 4-1 to advance to the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, as one of the tournament’s host nations, the USA exited the competition at the last 16 stage. After the match, Belgium’s official national team social media account posted a playful dig at the United States with the line: “It’s called Football, not Soccer.” Both Football and Soccer refer to the sport. The majority of English-speaking countries around the world call it Football, while regions such as the United States use Soccer to distinguish it from American football. This fixture was shrouded in huge controversy long before kick-off. US forward Folarin Balogun received a red card in his previous match for stamping on an opponent, which should have ruled him out of this game. However, FIFA suspended the punishment on the 5th. US President Donald Trump also confirmed that he had called FIFA President Gianni Infantino over the incident. Balogun started this match but failed to score.
The editor believes that Belgium hit on the long-standing linguistic divide over what to call the sport with just one line. The post amounted to an in-your-face jab at the United States and quickly sparked heated discussions across all social media platforms.