Senegal led 2-0 late on, then Belgium struck back in a wild World Cup finish
Senegal stood four minutes from the World Cup last 16. Then the match turned into chaos.
Pape Thiaw’s side had Belgium on the brink after goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr gave them a 2-0 lead in their last-32 tie. For most of the night, Senegal looked sharper, stronger and more composed. They had outplayed a Belgium side packed with experience and seemed ready to claim one of the tournament’s biggest knockout wins.
Instead, the Senegal World Cup story ended in a brutal collapse.
Romelu Lukaku started Belgium’s rescue act in the 86th minute, turning in Thomas Meunier’s cross to drag his team back into the contest. Three minutes later, Youri Tielemans met Leandro Trossard’s delivery and headed into an empty net after Senegal goalkeeper Mory Diaw failed to deal with the cross.
A game that had looked finished suddenly had another life.
Belgium, who had looked flat for long spells, found the kind of late belief that keeps teams alive in World Cups. Senegal, who had done so much right, could not stop the momentum from turning against them.
The decisive moment came deep in extra time. Lamine Camara challenged Tielemans inside the box, and the referee was sent to the screen after a video assistant referee review. The decision took time. It also caused anger.
The penalty was given. Tielemans converted in the 125th minute.
That strike, timed at 124 minutes and 44 seconds, became the latest goal in World Cup history and sent Belgium into the last 16. It also turned the Senegal World Cup exit into one of the most dramatic and painful defeats of the tournament.
The controversy did not end with the final whistle. Former England defender Gary Neville said on ITV that he did not believe the challenge deserved a penalty. Roy Keane also called the decision harsh and questioned why the referee took so long at the monitor before making his call.
For Senegal, the anger carried an uncomfortable echo. Earlier this year, they were stripped of their Africa Cup of Nations title after their team left the pitch during the final against Morocco following another late VAR penalty decision. This time, they stayed on the pitch, but the outcome was still devastating.
Thiaw accepted the result with visible pain. He said Senegal had given everything but admitted they could not hold on to their two-goal lead.
The Senegal World Cup campaign had promised more. For 86 minutes against Belgium, it seemed ready to deliver. Diarra and Sarr had given Senegal control, while Belgium looked short of ideas and energy. Kevin de Bruyne was substituted in the second half, and frustration even appeared to spill over when Tielemans and Trossard argued during a hydration break.
Yet those same players later helped complete Belgium’s escape.
Lukaku changed the rhythm after coming on. Meunier supplied the first goal. Trossard created the equaliser. Tielemans, after his earlier dispute, became the match-winner.
Belgium’s old guard may no longer look as dominant as they once did, but they showed enough nerve to survive. Thibaut Courtois, De Bruyne, Meunier, Lukaku and Axel Witsel remain from the side that reached the 2018 semi-finals, and their experience still matters.
Belgium now move on to face co-hosts the United States in the last 16. Senegal go home with a question that will hurt for a long time: how did a match they controlled become a defeat?
The Senegal World Cup exit had everything: late drama, history, controversy and heartbreak. For Belgium, it was a miracle escape. For Senegal, it was a nightmare that arrived when victory looked almost certain.