Belgium staged a dramatic late comeback to defeat Senegal 3-2 and advance to the World Cup Round of 16. Down by two goals until the 86th minute, Belgium scored three times in the closing stages of the match, with Youri Tielemans converting a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time for the latest goal in World Cup history.
Romelu Lukaku came off the bench to pull one back in the 86th minute, setting the stage for Tielemans to equalize in the 89th minute. The match appeared headed for penalties before a foul awarded Belgium a spot kick after a video review, which Tielemans converted.
Senegal took a 2-0 lead with goals from Habib Diarra in the 25th minute and Ismaïla Sarr in the 51st minute. Sarr's goal, his fourth of the tournament, was a notable strike, with a perfect first touch off his chest from a long ball followed by a shot past Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Courtois made three key saves to prevent Senegal from extending its lead.
Senegal coach Pape Thiaw expressed frustration with the penalty decision, stating "I do not want to interpret the decision. We all have different interpretations when it comes to awarding a penalty." He added, "The players tried to challenge the decision. It’s their right. And, then the penalty was taken. And, this is why we were eliminated."
Despite the late collapse, Thiaw acknowledged Belgium's progress: "We must congratulate Belgium as they progress."
This victory marks the second time in 11 World Cups that a team has come back from a two-goal deficit in the knockout round to advance, with Belgium also achieving this feat in their 2018 victory over Japan. Many key players from that third-place finishing team were instrumental in Wednesday's win.
Belgium, which reached the semifinals in 2018 and the quarterfinals in 2014, failed to advance from the group stage in Qatar four years ago. They will face either the United States or Bosnia-Herzegovina in the next round on Monday in Seattle.
In a separate incident during the match, Senegal defender Pathé Ciss went down with an injury directly on top of the penalty spot in an apparent protest as his teammates argued with the referee. Ciss did not move until Tielemans took the shot.
This is the second time this year Senegal has been involved in a controversial late penalty situation in a significant match. In the Africa Cup of Nations final on Jan. 18, Senegal experienced a similar situation with a late goal being disallowed and a penalty awarded to Morocco, which was eventually saved before Senegal scored in extra time. However, that victory was later overturned by the governing body of African soccer, with Morocco awarded a 3-0 default win.