Belgium produced a remarkable late comeback to defeat Senegal 3-2 after extra time and book their place in the last 16 of the World Cup, with Youri Tielemans scoring a record-breaking penalty deep into stoppage time of extra time at Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field).
The decisive moment came after Tielemans was fouled just before the end of the additional 30 minutes. Following a video review, the referee awarded a penalty, which the Belgian midfielder converted in the 125th minute. The goal became the latest scored in World Cup history before the final whistle confirmed Belgium’s place in the next round.
Belgium had looked to be heading out of the competition after Senegal established a two-goal advantage through Habib Diarra and Ismaïla Sarr.
Diarra opened the scoring in the 25th minute, continuing his impressive tournament after also finding the net in Senegal’s 5-0 victory over Iraq. Sarr later doubled the African side’s advantage, putting Senegal in a commanding position against the group winners.
Belgium’s revival began late in normal time when substitute Romelu Lukaku reduced the deficit in the 86th minute. Three minutes later, Tielemans struck the equaliser to force the match into extra time and set the stage for a dramatic conclusion.
The winning goal arrived only moments before the contest appeared destined for a penalty shootout. After the referee consulted the video assistant referee over a late challenge on Tielemans, Belgium were awarded a spot-kick. Tielemans calmly converted from the penalty spot, and the referee ended the match shortly afterwards as Belgium secured a place in the round of 16.
The encounter was also interrupted during the first half when three people entered the field of play in the 32nd minute. The incident halted proceedings while approximately a dozen security personnel removed the intruders from the pitch. During the disruption, Belgium defender Maxim De Cuyper retained possession of the ball as officials dealt with the situation.
At the time play was stopped, Senegal held a 1-0 advantage thanks to Diarra’s earlier goal.
Senegal had reached the knockout phase as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams after negotiating what proved to be one of the World Cup’s most demanding groups. Their campaign included matches against France and an Erling Haaland-inspired Norway side, allowing them to progress despite not finishing in the top two.
Belgium, meanwhile, entered the knockout rounds after topping their group with five points. Their progression marked a significant improvement on their previous World Cup campaign in Qatar, where the Red Devils failed to advance beyond the group stage. That disappointment had followed their historic third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Their latest victory appeared unlikely for much of the contest as Senegal controlled proceedings and held a two-goal cushion heading into the closing stages. However, Belgium’s late surge transformed the match, with Lukaku’s goal reigniting their hopes before Tielemans delivered both the equaliser and the decisive penalty.
The dramatic turnaround ensured Belgium remained in the tournament, while Senegal’s impressive run came to an end despite pushing the European side to the brink in one of the most dramatic matches of the World Cup so far.
