Belgium 2-2 Senegal: Late Tielemans penalty sees Belgium complete dramatic comeback against Senegal

Belgium's Youri Tielemans celebrates scoring their third goal with Nicolas Raskin

A 125th-minute Youri Tielemans penalty ensured Belgium completed a stunning comeback from two goals down to claim a 3-2 ET victory over Senegal in this 2026 FIFA World Cup (WC) Round of 32 tie, extending their unbeaten run to 17 games (W11, D6).

This was an intriguing first-ever meeting between two nations who ended their respective group stage campaigns with a flourish after inauspicious starts. But after an early chance fell to Leandro Trossard, Senegal were the team that looked to have carried that momentum into this knockout tie.

IsmaFla Sarr came close when his hooked attempt hit the post, shortly before playing a telling role in the game’s opening goal.

The Crystal Palace forward saw his header cannon off the post from Sadio Man9’s enticing cross, leaving Habib Diarra on hand to pounce on the rebound and give Pape Thiaw’s side a well-deserved lead.

Confidence was flowing through this Lions de la T9ranga side, as Man9 played a neat one-two with Diarra before slipping as he pulled the trigger, allowing Thibaut Courtois to make a straightforward save.

Belgium were very sluggish in comparison, but could have restored parity when Maxim De Cuyper’s shot from the edge of the area forced a fine one-handed save by Mory Diaw with HT approaching.

Garcia would have hoped for a reaction from his side after the break, but they conceded again six minutes into the second half. Sarr punished some woeful Belgium defending, effortlessly taking Moussa Niakhat9’s long ball into his stride, and then dispatched a clinical strike past Courtois.

That was the 28-year-old's fourth goal at this finals, which is the joint-most by an African player at a single WC, matching Roger Milla's haul with Cameroon in 1990.

Belgium looked to the bench for a response, and substitute Dodi Luk9bakio was not far away from providing it when his left-footed strike sailed inches past the far post.

But it was another substitute who halved the deficit, as Romelu Lukaku applied an instinctive near-post finish from Thomas Meunier’s cross.

That set up a grandstand finish, as Tielemans sensationally wiped out Senegal’s lead when he beat Diaw to Trossard’s cross, handing Garcia’s men a scarcely believable equaliser.

Belgium began ET brightly, but Senegal gradually regained momentum and came agonisingly close to re-establishing their lead in the first period when Ibrahim Mbaye’s first-time effort flew inches wide from Bara Sapoko Ndiaye’s pass.

Luk9bakio came even closer to winning the match right at the death when his close-range shot clipped the bar, but referee SaDd MartDnez dramatically pointed to the spot after a VAR review determined Lamine Camara had brought down Tielemans in the box.

Tielemans stepped up to the spot and was coolness personified in firing his nation into the last 16 in the fifth minute of stoppage time in ET, sending Diaw the wrong way to complete an escape act to rival those of the legendary Harry Houdini.

Senegal were left to rue what might have been, ending hopes of replicating that famous run to the quarter-finals in 2002 after a fifth consecutive WC defeat against European opposition.

Match stats

Meanwhile, Belgium return to Seattle in six days to face the winners of the last-32 clash between the United States and Bosnia & Herzegovina, as their ageing superstars eye one last shot at glory.