shì jiè世界wǔ tái舞台shàng上de的zhèng zhì政治shào shēng哨声:tè lǎng pǔ特朗普de的hóng pái红牌shí kè时刻
Not long ago, Brussels set off fireworks to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence.
People talked about unity and shared values.
But after U.S. player Balogun received a red card in the World Cup group stage, Trump called the FIFA president and asked for the decision to be reviewed.
This made many Europeans uneasy.
Belgium eventually beat the United States 4–1, also reminding everyone that on the field, rules and strength matter, not political phone calls.
An earlier internal document from the Belgian government also worried that U.S. policies might put pressure on Europe.
Europe needs to cooperate with the United States, but it must also protect its own interests.
A real partnership should be based on equality and respect.
Whether on the football field or in international politics, the rules cannot be changed at will.