“Divided States of America”: Robert Griffin III Blames Fans for Belgium Defeat as USA Crash Out of FIFA World Cup 2026
Retired NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III was disappointed with Team USA’s exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They faced Belgium in the Round of 16 game on Monday at Lumen Field, renamed Seattle Stadium for the World Cup.
Despite high expectations, their dreams of winning the trophy came crashing down. The USMNT was outclassed by the Belgium team, which secured a 4-1 victory to advance to the quarterfinals.
After the game, Griffin III expressed his disappointment on X. In his post, he blamed the United States’ fanbase for not showing collective support for the team.
“We lost because (Belgium is a better team) we weren’t a united front as fans,” RGIII wrote. “We are supposed to be the United States of America, not the divided states of America.”
The United States Men’s National Team has never won the FIFA World Cup. The closest they came was during the inaugural tournament in 1930 when they finished third. The women’s team, on the other hand, has won the tournament four times, with their most recent victory being in 2019.
Following Monday’s loss, Griffin III also shared a post congratulating Belgium.
“Congratulations to Belgium. You beat us fair and square at our best and you were better. You earned it,” RGIII wrote.
Robert Griffin III is not the only one disappointed with the USMNT’s elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Apart from Robert Griffin III, Barstool Sports owner Dave Portnoy also expressed his disappointment on social media.
He shared a video on X where he did not mince his words while criticizing Team USA.
“Alright, so US got (expletive) molly whopped in soccer,” Portnoy said. “And honestly, we’re all great Americans. We try to support the team and we got (Folarin) Balogun to play, and we just forget. I’m taking this off (takes off his Team USA jersey) and throw this in the trash.
“Like, come on. We’re a (expletive) joke. That game was a (expletive) joke. If you’re gonna have us root for our team, how about having a goalie who (expletive) doesn’t give out a goal like just kicking around and giving it to you. … If we’re gonna keep making an international incident in FIFA and Trump’s going to bully them and (expletive), then we’re going to start instituting a draft for soccer. … These are country club D-tier athletes.”
Portnoy was referring to Folarin Balogun’s suspension after he received a red card during their 2-0 victory over Bosnia & Herzegovina. POTUS Donald Trump later claimed that he directly discussed the matter with FIFA President Gianni Infantino and got the suspension delayed, clearing Balogun for the game.
Belgium will now face Spain in the quarterfinals on Friday at 3 p.m. ET.
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