Belgium 3-2 Senegal (aet): World Cup last 32 – as it happened | World Cup 2026
Key events
Ben Fisher
A seesawing classic of a contest had just ticked into the 122nd minute, penalties all but a formality, when the referee, Saíd Martínez, wandered back towards the centre circle to award Belgium a stoppage-time penalty. The VAR, Guillermo Pacheco Larios, had highlighted Lamine Kamara swiping away Youri Tielemans’s left ankle in the seconds before Dodi Lukébakio had skimmed the crossbar. For Belgium, it was a get out of jail card, Tielemans converting the spot-kick to propel Rudi Garcia’s side into the last 16. After 85 minutes, they trailed Senegal 2-0.
Next up…
Senegal’s players look devastated as they walk off the field. In a parallel universe they have won 2-0 with a performance of calm authority, but that’s not how this thing works.
Full time: Belgium 3-2 Senegal (aet)
For the second time in three World Cups – and this really doesn’t happen often – Belgium have come from 2-0 down to win a knockout game. They did it against Japan in 2018 and now they’ve done it against Senegal.
It makes no sense, not least because Senegal were emphatically superior for 85 minutes, but Belgium refused to go away and they will play the United States or Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last 16.
120+12 min Pape Sarr woofs the free-kick over the bar. It’s the last kick of a crazy match.
120+11 min Ismaila Sarr’s shot is handled just outside the area. Senegal have one last chance.
Tielemans composed himself and clipped a majestic penalty into the top-right corner. How on earth have Belgium won this game.
GOAL! Belgium 3-2 Senegal (Tielemans 120+5)
Youri Tielemans has won it for Belgium!
120+5 min Youri Tielemans is going to take the penalty…
The penalty still hasn’t been taken. There’s a bit of nonsense in the penalty area, with Ciss going down after a very slight elbow to the chest.
120+2 min: Penalty to Belgium!
Senegal are furious. It’s probably a foul – whether it’s clear and obvious, who knows.
120 min Senegal and last-minute penalties, eh.
119 min: The referee is going to the monitor! Camara kicked through the back of Tielemans’ leg at the near post and I suspect this will be given.
118 min That was a great chance for Lukebakio, 10 yards out, albeit on his right foot.
Hang on, there’s a VAR check for a potential foul on Tielemans before the ball reached Lukebakio.
117 min: Lukebakio hits the bar!
Onana finds the impressive Moreira on the left. His low cross reaches Lukebakio, who lifts a shot off the top of the crossbar!
116 min “Sparklehorse, Eels, Red House Painters: wonderful bands all, the ‘identikit indie outfits’ jibe couldn’t be further off the mark here,” writes Phil Podolsky. “And yet I still always mix up between their song titles. In fact, the deeper I get into the respective discographies the worse it gets. Devoted-MBM-contributor-in-cognitive-decline shocker.”
Arf. I guess it doesn’t help that the first two released brilliant songs about Saturday.
115 min Senegal are having their best spell since the score was 2-0. I suspect the game will still go to penalties, but the momentum has shifted.
113 min A poor clearance from Meunier leads to a stinging long-range shot from Ndiaye. Courtois crouches to hold with authority.
110 min: Belgium substitution Amadou Onana replaces Leandro Trossard.
109 min Chance for Senegal!
Bara Sapoko Ndiaye gets away down the right and angles a cutback towards Mbaye, who slices a shot past the far post. That was pretty close.
106 min Senegal begin the second period of extra time.
Barney Ronay
Well maybe, you’re gonna be the one that saves me. On a wild, boisterous, often agonising afternoon under the giant Victorian railway dome of the Atlanta Stadium, the Democratic Republic of Harry Kane progressed to the last 16 of the World Cup.
With England playing like a team terrified of their own feet and 1-0 down to an excellent DR Congo, Kane decided something else was going to happen, scoring two goals in 11 minutes towards the end to turn disastrous defeat into joyful relief. In the process he also saved Thomas Tuchel’s job and perhaps the jobs of his bosses at the Football Association. Because England really had gone at points in this game.
Half time in extra time: Belgium 2-2 Senegal
It’s heading to penalties.
104 min Trossard’s shot from 20 yards is blocked, then Raskin’s cross-shot evades the stretching Trossard at the far post. All the momentum is with Belgium now.
101 min Almost a chance for Belgium, with a ball over the top from the left evading both Tielemans and Lukaku. Right now, they look the likelier winners.
98 min Belgium have had more of the ball in extra time. It’s generally harmless possession, but a reflection of the change in the momentum since those two late goals.
95 min Another Senegal substitution: Bara Sapoko Ndiaye comes for Idrissua Gueye. This already reeks of penalties.
93 min: Senegal substitutions Nicolas Jackson and El Hadji Malick Diouf replace Sadio Mane and Ismail Jakobs. Both were superb.
91 min Peep peep! Extra time is under way.
Full time: Belgium 2-2 Senegal
Senegal were the better team and looked set for a quietly comprehensive 2-0 win until Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans scored in the last five minutes of normal time. At this point, all bets are off.
90+6 min Idrissa Gueye sweeps a decent shot from 25 yards that wide of the far post. Courtois had it covered.
90+5 min Before the game I thought this would go to extra-time. After 85 minutes, not so much.
90+2 min Lukaku charges forward and finds Tielemans, whose dangerous cross is belted past the near post by a Senegal defender. This is absurd.
90+1 min Seven minutes of added time.
Belgium have been outplayed for 85 minutes and now they’re level! Trossard drilled a flat cross from the left that tempted the keeper Diaw from his line. He couldn’t get there and Tielemans headed into the empty net from six yards.
GOAL! Belgium 2-2 Senegal (Tielemans 89)
What the actual football?
88 min Senegal go straight down the other end and Mbaye splashes well wide from the right side of the area.
87 min It sounds like the ball has been changed since the goal; not sure why.
Moreira challenged Pape Sarr just outside the Senegal area, with the ball ricocheting towards Meunier on the right. He slipped a low cross to the near post, where Lukaku got across the defender and finished decisively with his right foot.
GOAL! Belgium 1-2 Senegal (Lukaku 86)
Romelu Lukaku gives Belgium hope!
86 min We’ve had a couple of emails suggesting Lukaku had to stop two Belgian players having a square-go during the hydration break. Not sure what happened but I’m sure we’ll find out.
85 min Mane runs through on goal and drives a low shot from the edge of the area that is pushed away the diving Courtois. Mane is then flagged offside, though I don’t think he was.
84 min Trossard plays a crisp pass into Tielemans, who beats his man but then sprays high and wide from 22 yards.
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