Senegal makes World Cup history!

01.07.26 AET World Cup

Belgium

3

:

Senegal

2

The Senegalese national team bid farewell to the 2026 World Cup in the Round of 32 after a stunning comeback by Belgium, who clinched a dramatic 3-2 victory in extra time.

The Lions of Teranga appeared to have done the hard part. Dominant for most of the match, they opened the scoring through Habib Diarra in the 25th minute before Ismaïla Sarr doubled the lead right after the break (51st minute).

As Senegal looked set for a controlled qualification, Belgium flipped the script in the dying minutes of regulation. Romelu Lukaku pulled one back in the 86th minute, and just three minutes later, Youri Tielemans struck the equalizer, plunging the Senegalese into doubt.

Both teams struggled to break the deadlock for most of extra time. But in the final moments, the Red Devils earned a penalty in the 125th minute. Tielemans coolly converted from the spot, booking Belgium's ticket to the Round of 16.

A painful record for the Lions of Teranga

Beyond the elimination, Senegal unfortunately enters World Cup history for a statistic they would rather forget.

According to Opta data, the Lions of Teranga have become the first side ever in the World Cup knockout stages to be eliminated after holding a two-goal lead until the 85th minute. A historic first that Senegal would have gladly avoided.

World Cup 2026: Pape Gueye no longer wants to wear the Senegal shirt

Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.

Related teams and leagues

Belgium

Senegal

World Cup