Youri Tielemans nets 125th-minute winner as the Red Devils recover from two goals down to seal a thrilling 3-2 victory.
Belgium produced one of the most dramatic comebacks of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Wednesday, overturning a two-goal deficit to defeat Senegal 3-2 after extra time and book a place in the Round of 16.
Senegal looked set to make history by securing their first-ever World Cup knockout victory after Habib Diarra opened the scoring from a rebound before Ismaila Sarr doubled the lead early in the second half with a clinical finish past Thibaut Courtois.
Facing elimination, Belgium coach Rudi Garcia introduced Romelu Lukaku at halftime, and the striker inspired a remarkable revival. Lukaku pulled one back in the 86th minute before Youri Tielemans headed home the equaliser three minutes later after goalkeeper Mory Diaw failed to deal with Leandro Trossard’s cross.
With the match heading for penalties, Belgium earned a dramatic spot-kick in the 125th minute after VAR ruled that Lamine Camara had fouled Tielemans inside the box. The Aston Villa midfielder calmly converted the penalty to complete the comeback and send Belgium into the last 16, where they will face the United States.
“In football, anything is always possible as long as you believe in it,” Belgium coach Rudi Garcia said after the match.
A heartbroken Senegal coach, Pape Thiaw, admitted his side paid the price for failing to protect their advantage.
“We’re out—it hurts. We gave everything, but unfortunately we weren’t able to hold on to our two-goal lead,” he said.
The result keeps Belgium’s World Cup dream alive, while Senegal bow out after letting a commanding lead slip away in heartbreaking fashion.