Belgium produced one of the most dramatic comebacks of this World Cup on Wednesday night, rallying from two goals down in the final ten minutes of regulation before winning 3-2 in extra time to eliminate Senegal and book a place in the World Cup Round of 16. Youri Tielemans converted a stoppage-time penalty in the 125th minute at Lumen Field in Seattle, sending the Red Devils through in a finish that instantly ranked among the most memorable of this World Cup.
For long stretches, the match appeared to be heading toward one of the great upsets of the tournament. Senegal, playing with energy and precision, took the lead in the 25th minute through Habib Diarra, who pounced clinically to put the West Africans in front. The Senegalese doubled their advantage in the 51st minute when Ismaila Sarr produced a moment of individual brilliance, controlling a long ball from Moussa Niakhate with a sublime first touch before finishing past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. It was Sarr’s fourth goal of the World Cup and, by consensus, one of the finest strikes of the tournament so far.
With Senegal ahead 2-0 and the clock running down, Belgium’s World Cup hopes appeared to be slipping away. But the Belgians, drawing on the experience of a golden generation that reached the semifinals of the World Cup in 2018, refused to fold. Substitute Romelu Lukaku, introduced from the bench specifically to change the game, halved the deficit in the 86th minute, muscling his way through the Senegalese defense to finish from close range. Three minutes later, Tielemans leveled the score at 2-2, forcing the match into extra time and stunning the Senegalese bench.
The additional 30 minutes were tense and cagey, with neither side able to find a decisive breakthrough until the very end. In the 125th minute, Tielemans was fouled inside the penalty area, and after a lengthy video review, the referee pointed to the spot. Tielemans stepped up himself and calmly slotted the penalty into the net, completing his brace and sealing Belgium’s place in the World Cup knockout stage in the most dramatic fashion possible. It stood as the latest goal scored in the history of the World Cup.
Senegal coach Pape Thiaw was gracious in defeat but clearly disappointed by the manner of the loss. He declined to publicly criticize the penalty decision, saying only that interpretations of such calls naturally differ, while acknowledging that his team had been the better side for most of the match before Belgium’s late surge changed everything.
Belgium goalkeeper Courtois, playing in his fourth World Cup, was instrumental in keeping his side within reach during Senegal’s dominant spell, making several important saves before his teammates rescued the match late on. Belgium’s comeback marked just the second time in the last eleven editions of the World Cup that a team has overturned a two-goal deficit in the knockout rounds and advanced, with Belgium themselves the only side to have now done it twice, having also erased a two-goal deficit against Japan at the 2018 World Cup.
The result sends Belgium into the World Cup Round of 16 for the third time in the last four editions of the tournament, extending the remarkable longevity of a core group of players who have carried the nation through more than a decade of tournament football.
Belgium will now face USA for the round of 16. For Senegal, elimination brings an end to a World Cup campaign that saw them navigate one of the toughest groups in the tournament, but the manner of the defeat will sting for some time to come.
