SEATTLE — In a thrilling match at Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field), Youri Tielemans converted a penalty in stoppage time of extra time, leading Belgium to a stunning 3-2 comeback victory over Senegal in the round of 32 of the World Cup on Wednesday.
Tielemans was fouled just before extra time was set to conclude, and the referee awarded a penalty after a video review.
His successful penalty kick came in the 125th minute, marking the latest goal ever scored in World Cup history. The referee’s whistle came shortly after, confirming Belgium’s advancement to the round of 16.
“I do not wish to interpret the decision. Everyone has their own perspective on penalty calls,” commented Senegal coach Pape Thiaw. “I prefer to refrain from commenting on the referee’s choice.”
Senegal initially took a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaïla Sarr, but Belgium’s substitute Romelu Lukaku scored in the 86th minute, followed by Tielemans equalizing in the 89th.
This victory for Belgium marks the second occasion in the last 11 World Cups where a team has come back from two goals down in the knockout round. Belgium previously did so against Japan in a 3-2 win during the round of 16 in 2018.
Many prominent players from Belgium’s 2018 squad, which finished third, played vital roles in this latest win.
Leading goal scorer Lukaku made a significant impact off the bench, netting a goal in the 86th minute to pave the way for Tielemans to bring the game to extra time.
“It’s a painful loss; we played well,” Thiaw remarked. “We had the advantage at 2-0, but a football match isn’t decided in just 85 minutes. Belgium made a comeback and we struggled to cope with that.”
“We should congratulate Belgium on their progress.”
Belgium has reached the round of 16 for the third time in four tournaments, having made it to the quarterfinals in 2014 and the semifinals in 2018, although they failed to advance beyond the group stage four years ago in Qatar.
Next, Belgium will face the United States on Monday in Seattle.
Sarr scored his fourth goal of the tournament, showcasing one of the most spectacular strikes thus far to give Senegal a 2-0 lead in the 51st minute, demonstrating remarkable skill with a chest trap followed by a well-placed shot past Belgium’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Senegal took its initial lead in the 25th minute with a goal from Diarra. However, the team was without their injured goalkeeper Édouard Mendy.
Courtois, in his fourth World Cup, made three crucial saves to prevent Senegal from extending their lead.
Belgium players Kevin De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku were surprisingly substituted in the 56th minute.
This marks the second time Senegal has dealt with a late penalty misfortune in a significant match this year.
During the Africa Cup of Nations final on January 18, Senegal players left the field in stoppage time after a late goal was disallowed, followed by Morocco being awarded a potentially game-deciding penalty. There were altercations between players before Thiaw led most of his squad off the field. They returned after a delay, and play resumed with Morocco midfielder Brahim Díaz having his penalty saved by Mendy. Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye scored the only goal in extra time, but the victory was stripped away in March by African football officials, awarding Morocco a 3-0 default win.
Three individuals interrupted the match in the 32nd minute, leading to a deployment of around a dozen security guards to restore order. During the incident, Belgium defender Maxim De Cuyper held onto the ball.
As that situation unfolded, Senegal was ahead 1-0 on Diarra’s goal from the 25th minute. Diarra also scored in a previous 5-0 victory over Iraq.
Senegal advanced to the knockout stage by being one of the top third-place finishers, successfully navigating one of the toughest groups in the tournament, which included matches against France and a squad led by Erling Haaland.
Belgium topped their group with five points.
Information from The Associated Press was utilized in this report.