Belgium came back from two goals down to beat Senegal 3-2 after extra time, with Youri Tielemans scoring a dramatic late penalty to send the Red Devils into the World Cup last 16.
Belgium produced one of the wildest escapes of the World Cup after fighting back from two goals down to beat Senegal 3-2 after extra time in their Round of 32 tie.
Senegal looked set for a famous knockout win after Habib Diarra and Ismaïla Sarr put the Lions of Teranga 2-0 ahead. But Belgium refused to die. Romelu Lukaku pulled one back in the 86th minute before Tielemans struck in the 89th minute to force extra time.
Then came the final twist.
Deep into extra-time stoppage time, Belgium were awarded a VAR-reviewed penalty after Tielemans went down in the box. The midfielder stepped up and converted, completing a comeback that crushed Senegal and sent Belgium through.
The win sends Belgium into the last 16, where they are set to face the United States after the Americans beat Bosnia & Herzegovina in their own knockout tie.
Senegal Had Control
For long spells, this was Senegal’s game.
They started with greater confidence, sharper movement and stronger attacking purpose. Diarra gave them the lead after reacting quickest to a rebound, rewarding a first-half spell in which Senegal looked more dangerous and more settled.
Belgium, by contrast, looked slow and uncertain. Their attacking rhythm was broken, their defensive structure was stretched, and Senegal carried the emotional force of a side beginning to believe.
That belief grew early in the second half when Sarr made it 2-0. He took a long ball in stride and finished clinically past Thibaut Courtois, giving Senegal the kind of lead that should have carried them into the next round.
At that point, Belgium were not just losing. They were being outplayed.
Belgium Found A Lifeline
Belgium’s comeback began when Lukaku struck in the 86th minute.
The substitute’s near-post finish changed the pressure inside the match. Suddenly, Senegal were no longer protecting a comfortable lead. They were defending a shrinking one.
Three minutes later, Tielemans punished them again. He met Leandro Trossard’s delivery and dragged Belgium level, turning what had looked like a controlled Senegal victory into a full-blown World Cup collapse.
Extra time only deepened the tension. Senegal had moments to regain control, while Belgium threatened to complete the rescue before penalties.
But the decisive moment arrived from the spot. After a VAR review, the referee awarded Belgium a late penalty, and Tielemans converted in the 125th minute to complete the turnaround.
Senegal Exit In Pain
For Senegal, this defeat will hurt for a long time.
They had the lead. They had the momentum. They had Belgium in trouble. Yet in the closing minutes, the match slipped away.
The ending will also fuel debate. The penalty decision became the defining moment of the tie, and Senegal’s World Cup run was decided by a late VAR-reviewed call after they had led 2-0.
But Senegal also had chances to kill the game before Belgium found their way back.
That is the brutal truth of knockout football. Control is not enough if the final moments collapse.
Belgium Survive, But Questions Remain
Belgium advance, but this was not a clean statement.
It was an escape built on late pressure, experience and one decisive penalty. Their attacking quality eventually arrived, but only after Senegal had exposed serious problems in their rhythm and defensive control.
For Belgium, survival is enough for now.
For Senegal, it is heartbreak. They were minutes from a famous African World Cup moment. Instead, Tielemans turned their night into one of the tournament’s cruelest exits.
Belgium march on. Senegal are left with the question that will haunt them: how did they let this slip?