“Knicks Still Champs”: Josh Hart Trolls USA’s FIFA World Cup Exit After Loss to Belgium

It’s almost the business end of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but sadly for the hosts, the U.S., they won’t have their team in the quarterfinals to cheer on. Belgium defeated the U.S. 4-1 in the Round of 16 in Seattle earlier this week to set up a date with Spain, leaving the Americans disappointed. Josh Hart, a known soccer fan, however, chose to find comfort in the fact that he remains a world champion this summer.

Despite having no correlation to football, New York Knicks star Josh Hart took to social media to make light of Team USA’s exit. Hart reminded everyone that the Knicks are still NBA world champions, likely hinting that his home country remains supreme in the basketball world.

"US lost but Knicks still Champs," Hart wrote on X. "Goodnight!"

Before his hilarious reminder of the Knicks' championship win in the 2026 NBA Finals, Hart was already defending Team USA's loss on Monday. "We didn’t want to win anyways cause they would have called it rigged, " Hart wrote on X.

The former Portland star also tweeted that pancakes are better than waffles, taking another dig at Belgium. It was light-hearted teasing, of course, with no disrespect aimed at the European side, who were, quite simply, brilliant against the USMNT.

The Round of 16 match was also overshadowed by the controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun, whose red card from the previous game was suspended following U.S. President Donald Trump’s phone call to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Balogun, sadly, failed to have any real impact on the game, leaving millions of Americans, including Josh Hart, disappointed. But as far as the Knicks forward is concerned, he remains on top of the world in his own sport.

Josh Hart Gets Honest About His Role in Knicks' NBA Title Run

Josh Hart has never made it to an All-Star in his nine-year NBA career. But still, he's a player coaches love to have on their team, and has seemingly made a home for himself in New York after arriving in 2023, following stints with the Lakers, Trail Blazers, and Pelicans.

Playing at the small forward position, Hart is known for hustling for the ball, securing rebounds, and creating stops for his team.

Hart was never known as a scorer or seen as the team’s first option. Nevertheless, the New York Knicks heavily relied on him to provide efficient support for Jalen Brunson. Last season, Hart averaged 12.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.1 steals. In the Finals, he put up 7.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.4 steals.

It’s clear that Josh is a role player, but he’s also an important piece of the puzzle. After the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5, Hart acknowledged the role he played and understood that it was what he needed to do to contribute to his team’s success.

"Everybody wants to be the guy that scores the most, that puts the ball in the basket, and that's not everybody's path," Hart said in a postgame interview. "That wasn't my path, and sometimes that's a tough pill to swallow, but when you embrace that when you're a star in your role, and you take pride in doing the little things, that breeds winning basketball.

"For me, as embraced as I was in this city wearing this jersey, that sacrifice was easy," he continued. "Some days it was tough, don't get me wrong, but you sacrifice for moments like this."

Hart made history as part of the only trio in basketball history to win an NCAA championship and an NBA championship with the same teammates. The ‘Nova Knicks’ consist of Hart, Brunson, and Mikal Bridges.

With teams shaking things up in the Eastern Conference this summer, it’ll be interesting to see how the Knicks defend their title next season. The biggest threat in the East right now is the Miami Heat. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s arrival has certainly increased the Heat’s chances of competing for a title next season. Hopefully for the Knicks, Brunson, Hart, and Bridges can find a way to hold down the fort for another year.