Youri Tielemans scored a controversial penalty in the 125th minute as Belgium staged a comeback from two goals down to beat Senegal 3-2 after extra time and book their place in the Round of 16 of the FIFA 2026 World Cup.
The Aston Villa midfielder kept his composure from the spot deep into stoppage time of extra time after a VAR review awarded Belgium a penalty, completing one of the tournament’s most remarkable turnarounds.
Belgium will now face either the United States or Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 16.
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Senegal looked set to claim their first-ever World Cup knockout victory since their memorable 2002 debut after Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr fired the Lions of Teranga into a deserved 2-0 lead in Seattle.
Ismaila Sarr had earlier struck the post before Diarra reacted quickest to convert the rebound after Sarr’s header from Sadio Mané’s cross came back off the woodwork.
Belgium struggled to create clear openings in the first half, with Maxim De Cuyper coming closest when his curling effort was brilliantly tipped away by goalkeeper Mory Diaw, who was deputising for the injured Edouard Mendy.
With just four minutes remaining in normal time, Belgium’s World Cup campaign appeared over before substitute Romelu Lukaku sparked the revival by flicking home Thomas Meunier’s cross.
Moments later, Leandro Trossard’s dangerous delivery evaded Diaw, allowing Tielemans to head home the equaliser in the 89th minute and force extra time.
The dramatic comeback came despite visible frustration within the Belgian ranks, with Tielemans and teammate Dodi Lukebakio involved in a heated exchange before the second-half cooling break, prompting Lukaku to intervene.
The decisive moment arrived in the closing seconds of extra time. Lukebakio’s effort clipped the crossbar, but after a lengthy VAR review, the referee awarded Belgium a penalty for Lamine Camara’s sliding challenge on Tielemans in the build-up. The midfielder calmly converted from the spot to complete an extraordinary escape.
For Senegal, it was a heartbreaking end to an impressive campaign. Pape Thiaw’s side, who qualified as one of the eight best third-placed teams after a 5-0 victory over Iraq, were minutes away from making history before Belgium’s late resurgence denied them a famous victory.
Belgium, meanwhile, keep alive the hopes of their experienced core, including Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois, as they march into the Round of 16.
