Tielemans Leads Belgium's Dramatic Comeback Against Senegal

Belgium were dead on their feet, two goals down and drifting out of the World Cup. Then Romelu Lukaku stirred, Youri Tielemans took charge, and a round-of-32 tie against Senegal turned into one of the great late turnarounds of the tournament, ending 3-2 to the Europeans after extra time.

It took until the final seconds of extra time for the decisive blow. Tielemans, driving into the box, went down under a challenge from Lamine Camara. The stadium froze. The referee headed to the monitor. Minutes ticked away as players paced, argued, prayed.

The decision finally came: penalty.

Tielemans placed the ball, stared down the moment, and buried his spot-kick deep into stoppage time of extra time to complete a hat-trick of decisive interventions and drag Belgium into the last 16.

From 0-2 down to 3-2 up. From the brink of another early exit to a third round-of-16 appearance in four World Cups.

Senegal stun, then soar

For more than an hour, this was Senegal’s night.

Missing first-choice goalkeeper Édouard Mendy with a knee injury, they still played with authority and edge. Habib Diarra struck first in the 25th minute, capping a bright Senegal start and giving Belgium exactly the kind of nervy, awkward game they had hoped to avoid.

The African side grew in confidence. Belgium, by contrast, looked flat, their passing predictable, their stars strangely muted.

Then came the moment that should have settled it.

Six minutes after the break, Ismaïla Sarr produced one of the goals of the tournament. Moussa Niakhaté launched a long ball forward; Sarr cushioned it on his chest with exquisite control, let it drop into stride and lashed his finish beyond Thibaut Courtois. His fourth goal of this World Cup. His finest yet.

At 2-0, Senegal’s belief surged. This was the team that had fought through a brutal group featuring two-time champions France and an Erling Haaland-led Norway to qualify as one of the best third-place finishers. Now they were 40 minutes from a famous scalp.

Belgium wobble, then wake up

Belgium looked rattled. The drama only deepened when both Kevin De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku were withdrawn in the 56th minute, changes that raised eyebrows and questions in equal measure. With their chief creator and most electric dribbler off the pitch, any Belgian comeback seemed even less likely.

But matches at this level rarely obey logic.

As time slipped away, Lukaku — introduced from the bench — finally imposed himself. In the 86th minute, with Senegal edging towards the line, he found the goal that cracked the game open. A poacher’s finish, a lifeline when Belgium had almost run out of ideas.

Suddenly, Senegal’s control evaporated. Belgium surged. The pressure told again three minutes later.

Tielemans, who had been increasingly influential, struck in the 89th minute to haul Belgium level. In the space of three frantic minutes, a comfortable 2-0 lead had vanished. Extra time loomed; Senegal looked stunned, Belgium reborn.

Extra time, and one last twist

Extra time brought tired legs and cautious minds. Senegal, having led for so long, tried to reset. Belgium, having escaped, probed without over-committing. Chances were scarce. Nerves were not.

Then, with the clock almost out, Tielemans drove into the box once more. Camara stepped across, contact came, and the Belgian midfielder hit the turf. The referee initially waved play on, but VAR intervened. The long review ended with a pointed finger to the spot.

Tielemans, already the man of the moment, stepped up and completed the job.

Belgium’s new path

With that, Belgium booked their place in the round of 16, a stage they have now reached in three of the last four tournaments. This generation once carried them to the quarterfinals in 2014 and the semifinals in 2018, before the disappointment of failing to escape the group in Qatar.

Now, in Santa Clara, California next week, they will face either the United States or Bosnia-Herzegovina, buoyed by the knowledge that when the pressure rose and the clock turned cruel, they found a way back.

Senegal, who had shaped this match with courage, quality and one breathtaking strike from Sarr, leave with regret rather than reward.

Belgium leave with something else entirely: a reminder that, for all their recent stumbles, they still have the nerve — and the players — to turn a World Cup tie on its head in the dying seconds.