Tielemans Leads Belgium's Dramatic Comeback Against Senegal
Youri Tielemans dragged Belgium back from the brink, then dragged them into the last 16.
Deep into stoppage time of extra time, with penalties looming and legs gone, the midfielder stood over the ball knowing one kick would decide a World Cup tie that had spiralled into chaos. He went for nerve over nuance. The ball hit the net, Senegal sank to their knees, and Belgium, somehow, had turned 0-2 into 3-2 in the round of 32.
From collapse to escape, all in 40 frantic minutes.
Senegal in control, Belgium on the ropes
For most of the night, this was Senegal’s game.
Even without injured goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, they played with clarity and conviction, and they struck first. In the 25th minute, Habib Diarra punished Belgium, finishing to give the African side a deserved 1-0 lead and send a warning that this was no routine knockout assignment.
Belgium never truly settled. Their passing lacked rhythm, their stars looked oddly muted. Then came a moment that seemed to tilt the tie beyond them.
Six minutes after half-time, Ismaïla Sarr produced one of the goals of the tournament. Moussa Niakhaté launched a long ball forward; Sarr killed it with a velvet touch on his chest, then, in one smooth motion, drove his finish beyond Thibaut Courtois. A ruthless piece of control, a ruthless finish. 2-0, and Senegal were flying.
That was Sarr’s fourth goal of this World Cup. It felt like the one that should have broken Belgium.
To make matters worse for the Europeans, both Kevin De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku were withdrawn as early as the 56th minute. On another night, that might have been the post-mortem headline. Instead, it became the backdrop to something far wilder.
Lukaku lights the spark
Belgium looked beaten. Senegal, who had survived a brutal group featuring two-time champions France and an Erling Haaland-led Norway, were managing the game, holding territory, and winning duels.
Then Romelu Lukaku arrived on the scene.
Thrown on from the bench, he gave Belgium a focal point and a threat they had been missing. As the clock ticked towards the 90th minute, with Senegal edging towards a famous win, Lukaku struck in the 86th. A poacher’s goal, but a seismic one. 2-1. Suddenly, doubt crept in.
The momentum flipped.
Belgium poured forward and Senegal, who had been so composed, began to retreat. Three minutes later, the comeback was complete—at least on the scoreboard. Tielemans, already starting to dictate more of the play, found the equaliser in the 89th minute. From 0-2 down to 2-2 in the space of three breathless minutes.
Extra time felt inevitable. So did the sense that the game had been ripped from Senegal’s hands.
Extra time, VAR drama, and a final twist
Extra time brought tension more than chances. Tired legs, tired minds, and the shadow of a penalty shootout looming over every touch.
Then, in the dying seconds of the additional 30 minutes, came the incident that decided everything.
Tielemans drove into the area and collided with Lamine Camara. The referee let play run, but the appeals were instant and furious. After the whistle, the stadium fell into that strange hush only VAR can create. The referee headed to the monitor. Minutes passed. Every replay seemed to crank up the pressure.
Finally, the decision came: penalty.
Tielemans, who had dragged Belgium back from the edge in normal time, now had the chance to complete one of their great World Cup turnarounds. He didn’t blink. His stoppage-time strike in extra time sealed a 3-2 win and sent Belgium into the round of 16 for the third time in four tournaments.
From the quarterfinals in 2014 to the semifinals in 2018, then the humiliation of failing to escape the group in Qatar, this generation has lived every extreme. This, though, was a different kind of test—one of resilience rather than reputation—and they passed it.
Belgium survive – but at a cost?
Senegal will feel this one for a long time. They had the game where they wanted it, 2-0 up with Sarr starring and their structure holding firm. They had outplayed a heavyweight for long stretches, only to be undone by a late surge and a controversial, video-assisted call.
Belgium, by contrast, leave with relief, questions, and another knockout tie to prepare for.
Next week in Santa Clara, California, they will face either the United States or Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 16. The comeback against Senegal will give them belief. The performance before it will give them plenty to fix.
But in tournament football, survival is its own kind of statement. Belgium are still here. And after a night like this, who dares assume they’re done?
