Key Points
- Belgium beat Senegal 3-2 in extra time in Seattle to reach the World Cup round of 16.
- Senegal led 2-0 through Habib Diarra and Ismaïla Sarr before Belgium's comeback.
- Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans scored late to force extra time.
- Tielemans converted a 125th-minute penalty for the winner.
Belgium erased a two-goal deficit to beat Senegal 3-2 in extra time in Seattle, reaching the 2026 World Cup round of 16 in one of the tournament's wildest knockout games yet. Senegal looked in control at 2-0; 40 minutes later they were out.
How It Happened
Senegal built the lead its play deserved, with Habib Diarra striking in the 24th minute and Ismaïla Sarr adding a second around halftime. Then Belgium's veterans took over. Romelu Lukaku tapped in during the 86th minute, and Youri Tielemans headed home a Thomas Meunier cross in the 89th to force extra time. The decisive moment came in the 117th minute, when Lamine Camara fouled Tielemans in the box; after a VAR review, Tielemans buried the penalty in the 125th minute to send Belgium through.
Belgium's reward is a date with the co-hosts: it faces the USMNT in the Round of 16 on July 6, back in Seattle.
The Read
For Senegal, this is a cruel sequel. Six months after being stripped of the AFCON title they won on the field, the Teranga Lions coughed up a two-goal World Cup lead in the space of four minutes — the kind of collapse that follows a team. It also thins what had been a historic showing for the continent: Senegal were one of the record nine African nations to reach the round of 32, and the group is now smaller. For Belgium, it is the opposite story — an aging golden generation that has repeatedly flattered to deceive at major tournaments finding, this time, one more comeback in its legs. The result keeps them alive in a tournament already breaking attendance records across North America.
Source: ESPN
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