It’s safe to say that Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy wasn’t happy after the U.S. men’s national team’s 4-1 FIFA World Cup loss to Belgium.
“Embarrassing effort from the United States,” Portnoy, 49, wrote via X after the team’s Monday, July 6, defeat.. “Lights were way too bright for US soccer team. Stage way too big. If we’re gonna keep creating international incidents over soccer it may be time to institute a soccer draft.”
The “international incident” is a reference to President Donald Trump’s call to FIFA President Gianni Infantino over Folarin Balogun’s controversial red card in the prior round. The card would have kept Balogun, 25, out of the Belgium game, but FIFA decided to suspend the penalty after the president’s phone call.
It’s unclear if the call did, in fact, impact the organization’s decision.
Portnoy’s video began with him taking his USMNT jersey and hat off and throwing both in the garbage.
“We’re a f***ing joke. That game was a f***ing joke,” he ranted.
Portnoy also expanded on his draft comment, fantasizing about a world where LeBron James is drafted to play in the World Cup.
“These are country club, D-tier athletes we got out here,” he said.
The Barstool founder had similar takes during the match, where he unloaded on the team as the match unfolded. He called their play “garbage” and said the defense was the “worst” he had seen in this year’s World Cup tournament.
“US Soccer is not ready for primetime,” he wrote during the match. “I don’t wanna be mean but this team is embarrassing. We’re never gonna actually be good at this sport as long as out D tier athletes play it. What a clown show.”
Portnoy added, “I don’t want to hear that the future is bright for American soccer. That they should be proud. That was a disgusting effort. We’re far closer to the bottom than the top. Just not a soccer country.”
Portnoy took a decidedly different tone in the days leading up to the match, criticizing European soccer fans who complained that Trump’s intervention may have helped make Balogun eligible.
“The difference between Belgium and the United States is that in the United States we always want to beat the best,” he wrote via X.
“The US Men’s team wouldn’t have even taken the field if Belgium’s best player was unfairly suspended,” he added. “Apparently Belgium wants the easy way out. Very sad European behavior.”
