Belgium Talk Up Millions of New Fans but the Real Test Is Stopping Spain

Rudi Garcia says Belgium have gained "millions and millions" of new supporters since Donald Trump personally lobbied Fifa over Folarin Balogun's red card, and he wants his players to draw "incredible strength" from that noise heading into their World Cup quarter-final against Spain. It is a bold psychological play from a coach whose team will be significant underdogs in front of a crowd expected to be overwhelmingly American.

Strip away the bravado, though, and the fixture comes down to two much simpler questions. Can 33-year-old Romelu Lukaku, unable to start a single game for Napoli all season, be the difference-maker off the bench? And can anyone find a way past a Spain defence that has not shipped a single goal in this tournament?

The Trump effect how a political sideshow became Belgium's rallying cry

The backstory is genuinely strange. Trump boasted that he phoned Fifa directly to get Balogun's suspension put on hold after the USMNT forward was shown a straight red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Fifa's decision to suspend the ban, an unprecedented intervention in a disciplinary process, handed Balogun a reprieve he had not earned on the pitch.

It did not matter. Belgium beat the USA 4-1 anyway, sending the co-hosts home and rendering the entire episode moot. Belgium's football federation could not resist a parting shot on social media, declaring "overturn this", while players mocked Trump's dance in celebration at full time.

Garcia's version of events

Garcia has now turned that farce into fuel. He also revealed he had spoken directly to Balogun to reassure him he bore no blame for Trump's lobbying or Fifa's willingness to cave to it, a small note of sportsmanship inside an otherwise combative build-up.

"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," Garcia said. "I "

That stadium is Los Angeles Stadium, with roughly 80,000 seats likely dominated by American supporters rather than neutrals. Garcia has already navigated one hostile atmosphere this tournament, in Seattle against the co-hosts, and is betting his squad can do it again. Whether "millions of new fans" translates into anything tangible on the pitch is another matter entirely. It is siege mentality dressed up as momentum, the classic underdog's trick of turning a chaotic week into a unifying grievance.

Lukaku off the bench genuine tactical weapon or a coach's last resort?

Garcia's more interesting claim is tactical rather than political. He insists he effectively fields "two XIs", one that starts matches and one that finishes them, with Lukaku the headline act of the second unit.

The numbers behind the plan

The underlying data gives Garcia some cover. Lukaku has started only one game at this World Cup but has scored three goals and provided one assist, working out at roughly a goal every 50 minutes, including one against the USA. His international career total now stands at 93 goals, a figure bettered only by ronaldo" class="entity-link entity-link--player">Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Ali Daei and Sunil Chhetri. Notably, he is scoring at a faster international rate than either Ronaldo or Messi managed.

• 93 international goals, fourth all-time behind Ronaldo, Messi, Daei and Chhetri
• Three goals, one assist at this World Cup despite starting just once
• A goal roughly every 50 minutes played in the tournament
• Could not start a single Serie A game for Napoli all season

Lukaku himself frames the arrangement as a considered plan rather than a demotion forced on him by fitness or form.

"I had a chat with the coach in April and he said I had to be prepared for a certain role," Lukaku said. "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."

Bravado or genuine innovation

Garcia's claim that opponents "quake in their boots" when Lukaku enters is the kind of line every coach reaches for when defending a talisman who can no longer justify 90 minutes at club level. But the numbers suggest there is substance underneath the spin. A super-sub who scores at this rate against tiring defences is a legitimate weapon, not just a comforting story Garcia tells the press. Whether it is enough against a team that rarely tires is the real question.

Spain's unbroken defence the real barrier to Belgium's semi-final dream

For all the noise around Trump, Balogun and Lukaku, Spain remain the single biggest obstacle in Belgium's path, and their record this tournament is the most compelling counterweight to Garcia's confidence. Spain have not conceded a single goal so far, a defensive record that has made them one of the tournament favourites alongside their attacking quality.

Garcia's public respect

Garcia does not pretend otherwise. He openly acknowledged Spain's status as one of the tournament's strongest sides, individually and collectively, a status built over 15 to 20 years of consistent development.

"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," Garcia said. "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."

Belgium's case for the upset rests on their own scoring record. Garcia pointed out his side are the second highest scoring team at the World Cup, and drew a parallel with their group-stage escape against Senegal, a team he felt should never have finished third behind France and Norway. Getting through moments like that, he argued, is where his squad's real quality shows.

"If you get this far you're not going to just play to go home," Lukaku added. "We need to play the perfect game tomorrow."

What happens next

Belgium's route to a semi-final runs through the one team at this World Cup that has made scoring against them look nearly impossible. Garcia's dual-XI approach means expect Lukaku to start on the bench again, with Belgium looking to stay compact before turning to their most prolific weapon once Spain's legs start to go.

The psychological subplot, millions of supposed new fans, a hostile American crowd, the lingering absurdity of Trump's Fifa call, will fade quickly once kick-off arrives. What will not fade is the tactical reality: Spain have conceded nothing all tournament, and Belgium need someone to break that streak just once. If it happens, there is a strong chance it happens with Lukaku on the pitch rather than in the starting XI.

A Belgium win would send them into the semi-final as the tournament's most unlikely surviving underdog. A Spain win, extending their clean sheet run deeper into the knockout rounds, would only strengthen the case that they are the team to beat in the race for the title.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Belgium really beat the USA despite Trump's intervention?
Yes. Donald Trump lobbied Fifa to suspend Folarin Balogun's red card ban ahead of the last-16 match, an unprecedented move that Fifa granted. Belgium still won 4-1, and their federation mocked the episode afterwards on social media.

Why is Romelu Lukaku not starting for Belgium?
Coach Rudi Garcia has designed a deliberate plan where Lukaku, 33, comes on as an impact substitute rather than starting matches. Lukaku says the arrangement was agreed with Garcia back in April, partly because he played so few minutes for Napoli during the club season.

How many goals has Lukaku scored for Belgium?
Lukaku has 93 international goals for Belgium, the fourth-highest total in men's international football history behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Ali Daei and Sunil Chhetri. At this World Cup he has three goals and an assist despite starting only one game.

Has Spain conceded any goals at the World Cup 2026?
No. Spain have not conceded a single goal through their matches so far, making them the tournament's most miserly defensive side and one of the favourites to win the title outright.

Where is the Belgium vs Spain quarter-final being played?
The match takes place at Los Angeles Stadium, a venue expected to be filled largely with American supporters rather than neutral fans, despite neither host nation being involved in this fixture.

Is Belgium the highest scoring team left at the World Cup?
Not the highest, but Rudi Garcia has pointed out that Belgium are the second highest scoring side remaining in the tournament, a stat he is using to argue his team can find a way past Spain's defence.

What did Rudi Garcia say about Balogun personally?
Garcia confirmed he spoke directly to Folarin Balogun after the controversy, telling him he could not be blamed for Trump's lobbying or Fifa's decision to suspend his ban. The comment reflected a moment of sportsmanship inside an otherwise combative build-up to the Spain match.