Belgium produced a remarkable late comeback to defeat African Champions, Senegal 3-2 after extra time in a dramatic Round of 32 clash at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, securing a place in the last 16.
The Red Devils looked set for elimination after falling two goals behind, but scored twice in the closing minutes of regulation time before Youri Tielemans converted a stoppage-time penalty in extra time to complete the turnaround.
Senegal dominated much of the contest and took the lead through Habib Diarra, who finished from close range after Ismaila Sarr struck the post. Sarr later doubled the advantage early in the second half with a superb finish after latching onto a long pass from Moussa Niakhate.
Belgium began their comeback in the 86th minute when substitute Romelu Lukaku flicked home Thomas Meunier’s cross to reduce the deficit.
Three minutes later, captain Tielemans headed home Leandro Trossard’s cross after Senegal goalkeeper Mory Diaw failed to deal with the delivery, sending the match into extra time.
The decisive moment came deep into added time of extra time when Belgium were awarded a penalty following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, which ruled that Lamine Camara had fouled Tielemans inside the penalty area.
Tielemans calmly converted the spot-kick to seal a dramatic victory and send Belgium through to the Round of 16.
The win keeps Belgium’s World Cup campaign alive, with the European side set to face either the United States or Bosnia-Herzegovina in the next round.
For Senegal, the defeat brought an end to their impressive tournament run despite a dominant display for much of the match. The African side exits the competition after coming within minutes of reaching the last 16.
