Youri Tielemans wrote his name into World Cup folklore by converting a penalty in the 125th minute, the latest winning goal in the competition’s history, as Belgium eliminated Senegal from the Round of 32 in Seattle.
The fixture, which kicked off at 21:00 UK time, witnessed one of the tournament’s most remarkable turnarounds. The Teranga Lions appeared destined for a famous victory after establishing a two-goal cushion through Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr, the latter registering his fourth strike of the tournament. However, a dramatic finale to normal time and an additional 30 minutes of action saw the 2018 semi-finalists complete their comeback.
From Two Down to Victory
Senegal had arrived at the knockout phase following group stage losses to France and Norway, though they secured qualification with a commanding 5-0 triumph over Iraq. They carried that momentum into the last-32 clash and controlled proceedings for much of the contest, leading comfortably until the final five minutes of regulation time.
Romelu Lukaku, introduced at the interval, sparked the Belgian revival with a clinical finish in the 85th minute. Just three minutes later, captain Tielemans headed home the equaliser to force extra time. The late flurry followed early tactical changes from manager Rudi Garcia, who withdrew Kevin De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku before the contest had reached its conclusion.
During the additional period, both sides created opportunities to snatch victory. The decisive moment arrived deep into the second half of extra time when a lengthy VAR review awarded Belgium a penalty. Tielemans stepped forward and dispatched the spot-kick with confidence, sealing a historic progression to the last 16.
Squad Changes and Debuts
Senegal were forced to manage without their first-choice goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who missed the fixture due to a knee injury. Mory Diaw deputised between the posts but endured a difficult evening, facing scrutiny for his reaction to Belgium’s second goal. Among the substitutes, defender Bara Sapoko Ndiaye earned his first World Cup cap.
Belgium’s starting line-up had initially featured De Bruyne and Atalanta forward Charles De Ketelaere, operating as a false nine, though the latter was later replaced by Lukaku in a move that proved pivotal. Como winger Assane Diao remained Senegal’s sole Serie A representative and started among the replacements. The Red Devils had endured an unconvincing group phase themselves, managing draws against Egypt and Iran before finding rhythm in a 5-1 defeat of New Zealand.
What Next
The victory sets up a Round of 16 encounter for Belgium against the winner of the tie between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina. For Senegal, the defeat marks the end of a campaign that showed promise but ultimately succumbed to one of the most stoppage-time collapses in the tournament’s history.