Belgium booked their place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after producing a remarkable late comeback to defeat Senegal 3-2 after extra time in a dramatic Round of 32 clash at Seattle Stadium on Wednesday.
Senegal appeared to be cruising toward the next round after taking full control of the contest.
The Lions of Teranga opened the scoring in the 25th minute when Habib Diarra reacted quickest to tap home after Ismaila Sarr’s header struck the post, giving the African side a deserved lead.
The West Africans doubled their advantage six minutes into the second half. Sarr turned from provider to goalscorer, powering a clinical finish beyond Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to put Senegal 2-0 ahead and seemingly on course for victory.
However, Belgium mounted a dramatic late revival. Veteran striker Romelu Lukaku, introduced from the bench, reignited his team’s hopes by scoring in the 86th minute.
Just three minutes later, captain Youri Tielemans fired home the equaliser to stun Senegal and send the match into extra time.
With both sides pushing for a winner, the contest looked destined for a penalty shootout until deep into stoppage time of extra time.
In the 125th minute, Tielemans was brought down inside the penalty area and calmly converted the resulting spot-kick to complete an extraordinary comeback and seal Belgium’s 3-2 victory.
The heartbreaking defeat ends Senegal’s impressive World Cup campaign, while Belgium advance to the Round of 16, where they will face the winner of the United States versus Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 6 in Seattle, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.
