Belgium produced one of the most dramatic comebacks of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, coming from two goals down to stun Senegal 3-2 after extra time and book their place in the Round of 16 of the ongoing tournament in the United States.

The Round of 32 clash at Seattle Stadium looked set to end in an upset for the Lions of Teranga, who dominated proceedings for large stretches and took a deserved 2-0 lead through Habib Diarra’s 24th-minute opener and Ismaila Sarr’s well-taken finish in the 51st minute. Senegal controlled the tempo of the match, pressing intelligently and restricting the Red Devils to very few clear-cut opportunities as Belgium struggled to find any rhythm in attack.

However, the introduction of Romelu Lukaku at half-time for the ineffective Charles De Ketelaere proved to be the turning point of the contest.

The striker’s movement and physical presence unsettled the Senegalese backline, and with the match ticking into its final minutes, Belgium suddenly sprang to life. Lukaku pulled a goal back in the 86th minute after turning in Thomas Meunier’s low cross at the near post, and just three minutes later, Youri Tielemans headed home Leandro Trossard’s delivery to level the score at 2-2 and force extra time.

The additional 30 minutes proved just as dramatic. With the tie seemingly destined for penalties, Belgium were awarded a spot-kick deep into stoppage time of extra time following a VAR review that adjudged Senegal’s Lamine Camara to have fouled Tielemans inside the box. Senegal’s players protested furiously, surrounding the pitchside monitor and attempting to delay the restart, with one player even lying on the penalty spot in a bid to unsettle the taker. Their efforts came to nothing, as Tielemans stepped up in the 125th minute and calmly slotted the ball into the top corner to complete Belgium’s remarkable turnaround.

The result ends Senegal’s World Cup campaign in heartbreaking fashion after a resilient run through the group stage, while Belgium advance to face the winner of the USA-Bosnia and Herzegovina clash in the next round, keeping their title ambitions alive after a stuttering start to the tournament.

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