Belgium stuns Senegal with late comeback to reach World Cup last 16

Belgium was two goals down in Seattle and almost out of the World Cup when Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans dragged Senegal into extra time and then sent it home. The 3-2 win on July 1, 2026, sent Belgium into the last 16 after a comeback that turned on two frantic late goals and a decisive penalty in the 125th minute.

Senegal had controlled much of the night and looked poised for one of the tournament’s most punishing upsets. Ismaïla Sarr scored his fourth goal of the competition, a tally that matched Roger Milla’s record for an African player in a single World Cup, and Senegal carried that lead deep into the second half before Belgium finally broke through.

The turning point arrived in the 86th minute when Lukaku scored and gave Belgium a foothold. Three minutes later, Tielemans levelled the match, forcing Senegal to defend through a tense stretch of stoppage time and then into extra time, where every clearing header and second ball carried knockout stakes. Belgium’s equalizer did not come from a wave of dominance so much as from relentless pressure at the exact moment Senegal could no longer afford a lapse.

The final blow came after Diego Moreira sent a cross from the right, creating the chance Tielemans finished from the penalty spot in the last minute of extra time. Belgium’s comeback had the feel of a veteran side that understood how little time remained and how quickly a match can flip when experience meets panic. It also echoed another Belgian escape, the 3-2 victory over Japan in the round of 16 at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Pape Thiaw described the defeat as cruel, and the word fit a Senegal performance that was minutes from a landmark result. Instead, Belgium extended its unbeaten run to 17 matches, with 11 wins and six draws, and moved on with another reminder of how knockout football rewards teams that can survive long enough to find one last chance.