Craziest World Cup 2026 Game: Belgium leave it late to beat Senegal in extra-time thriller
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Craziest World Cup 2026 Game: Belgium leave it late to beat Senegal in extra-time thriller")
Craziest World Cup 2026 Game Belgium leave it late to beat Senegal in thriller Photograph: (AFP)
In arguably the craziest game of the 2026 World Cup, Belgium pulled off a miraculous extra-time comeback to beat Senegal 3-2 in Seattle. Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans rescued the Red Devils' Golden Generation from a 2-0 deficit to book a spot in the Round of 16.
Belgium left it until the very end to beat Senegal and qualify for the World Cup 2026 Round of 16 in perhaps the craziest match of the tournament. After Senegal doubled its lead in the second half and was marching towards a famous win over the European giants, Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku struck a late goal to make 1-2.
At a time when the two teams were comprehending that moment, Belgium midfielder Youri Tielemans equalised it in the next three minutes to stun the Seattle crowd. That moment did bring Belgium back into the game. The game's fate, however, was decided in the extra time when Tielemans converted the penalty (120 + 5') to win the match for his team.
Belgium go through to a potential meeting with the tournament’s co-host, the US, who face Bosnia and Herzegovina later in their Round of 32 fixture.
Also read| ‘This team did not accept defeat as an outcome,’ says Tuchel after England beat Congo at World Cup
Meanwhile, a defeat against Senegal would surely have signalled the end of the road for the last remnants of Belgium's golden generation -- Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and perhaps Thibaut Courtois -- but instead they live to fight another day. After a 5-1 win over New Zealand that clinched top spot for Belgium in Group G, Rudi Garcia named an unchanged side with Atalanta forward Charles De Ketelaere leading the attack and Lukaku on the bench.
Senegal coach Pape Thiaw, on the other hand, made three changes to the side that thrashed Iraq 5-0, which allowed them to squeak through as the last of the eight best third-place teams.
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Craziest World Cup 2026 Game Belgium leave it late to beat Senegal in thriller Photograph: (AFP)
Pape Gueye started after scoring twice as a substitute in that match, while Pathe Ciss and Everton winger Iliman Ndiaye came into the line-up.
A crazy Seattle afternoon
Senegal nearly went ahead through the in-form Sarr, who hit the post after Courtois inadvertently diverted a cross into the Crystal Palace forward's path. The Lions of Teranga did take the lead, however, when Sarr's header from Sadio Mane's cross came back off the same post, with Diarra reacting quickest to turn the rebound home.
Belgium unsurprisingly turned to their all-time leading scorer at the interval, with Lukaku having already proven his value as a substitute against Egypt and New Zealand in the group phase. But Belgium fell further behind six minutes into the second half when Sarr chested down Moussa Niakhate's long pass over the defence before firing an emphatic finish beyond Courtois.
Lukaku grabbed his team a lifeline in the 86th minute as he swept home from a Thomas Meunier cross and, just three minutes later, Belgium was level.
However, one final twist awaited when Tielemans went down under a challenge from Lamine Camara, prompting referee Said Martinez to award a penalty after a VAR review.
Youri Tielemans stepped up and dispatched with aplomb to cap a stunning fightback and break Senegalese hearts.
