TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Belgium dramatically advanced to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup after defeating Senegal 3-2 in extra time thanks to a Youri Tielemans penalty in the 120th minute.
Belgium dominated from the start of the match at Seattle Stadium on Thursday morning, but it was Senegal who took the lead in the 25th minute.
Starting with a Sadio Mane attack, Habib Diarra beat Thibaut Courtois to give Senegal a 1-0 lead.
Belgium attempted to respond through several chances from Kevin De Bruyne and Charles De Ketelaere. However, Senegal's solid defense kept the score at 1-0 until halftime.
In the second half, coach Rudi Garcia brought on Romelu Lukaku for De Ketelaere to increase his attacking power. Instead of equalizing, Belgium conceded another goal.
In the 51st minute, Ismaila Sarr doubled Senegal's lead with a powerful shot after receiving a precise lobbed pass inside the penalty box. Senegal took a 2-0 lead.
Trailing by two goals, Belgium continued to make changes, including substituting De Bruyne. These changes finally paid off in the final minutes of the match.
Lukaku reduced the deficit to 1-2 in the 86th minute after latching onto a Thomas Meunier pass in front of goalkeeper Mory Diaw's goal.
Three minutes later, Tielemans equalized with a header from Leandro Trossard's cross in the penalty area. The score was 2-2.
The score remained level until the end of normal time, forcing the match into extra time.
In extra time, both teams struggled to create any clear-cut chances. Senegal threatened through Mbaye, but his shot went wide.
Belgium nearly scored the winner in the 118th minute when Dodi Lukebakio's shot hit the post.
During the attack, referee Said Martinez reviewed the VAR video feed after Tielemans was brought down in the penalty area.
After consulting the VAR monitor, Martinez pointed to the penalty spot. Tielemans stepped up to take the penalty perfectly to give Belgium a 3-2 victory.
This victory sends Belgium to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, where they will face the winner of the match between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Starting Lineups
Belgium: Thibaut Courtois; Timothy Castagne, Arthur Theate, Brandon Mechele, Maxim De Cuyper (Thomas Meunier 78'); Hans Vanaken (Diego Moreira 63'), Youri Tielemans; Leandro Trossard, Kevin De Bruyne (Nicolas Raskin 56'), Jeremy Doku (Dodi Lukebakio 56'); Charles De Ketelaere (Romelu Lukaku 45')
Senegal: Mory Diaw; Krepin Diatta, Moussa Niakhate, Pathe Ciss, Ismail Jakobs; Pape Gueye (Lamine Camara 66'), Idrissa Gueye, Habib Diarra (Pape Matar Sarr 73'); Sadio Mane, Ismaila Sarr, Iliman Ndiaye (Ibrahim Mbaye 73')
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Read: Harry Kane Sends England Into World Cup Last 16
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