The high-stakes encounter began with Senegal firmly in the driver’s seat. Dominating the early exchanges, the African side clinically dismantled the Belgian defense, leaving the European heavyweights on the verge of a shocking tournament exit.
Senegal took the lead in the 25th minute when Habib Diarra reacted quickest to poke home the rebound after Ismaïla Sarr’s header hit the woodwork from a superb Sadio Mané cross.
Senegal refused to take their foot off the gas in the second half. In the 51st minute, Ismaïla Sarr doubled the advantage, bringing down a long pass from Moussa Niakhaté before unleashing a brilliant volley past Thibaut Courtois.
The stunning strike marked Sarr’s fourth goal of the tournament, seeing him equal the historic record set by Cameroonian legend Roger Milla in 1990 for the most goals scored by an African player in a single World Cup.
Staring down a 2-0 deficit, Belgium coach Yuri Garcia rolled the dice with tactical substitutions, bringing on Romelu Lukaku, Dodi Lukebakio, Diego Moreira, and Thomas Meunier. The gamble paid off spectacularly in the final minutes of normal time.
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86th Minute: Thomas Meunier delivered an accurate cross to Romelu Lukaku, who pulled one back with a clinical finish.
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89th Minute: Just three minutes later, Leandro Trossard floated a dangerous ball into the box, allowing Youri Tielemans to outleap goalkeeper Édouard Mendy (Diaw) and level the score at 2-2, sending the match into an agonizing extra 30 minutes.
The ultimate drama unfolded deep into extra time. In the 118th minute, Lukebakio’s shot rattled the crossbar from a Moreira cross.
In the chaotic aftermath, Lamine Camara brought down Tielemans in the box. While the referee initially waved play on, a VAR intervention and subsequent monitor review led to a dramatic penalty being awarded to Belgium.
Following furious protests, shoving from the Senegalese players, and a lengthy delay, Tielemans stepped up in the 125th minute. Showing nerves of steel, he rifled his spot-kick into the top right corner to seal one of the latest winning goals in World Cup history.
Though Senegal was arguably the superior team for the majority of the match—showing sharper attacking intent and superior creativity—Belgium’s veteran experience and clinical edge saw them through.
Senegal mounted one final attack, but M’Baye Niang’s (Mbaye) effort was comfortably gathered by Courtois, signaling the end of an absolute classic and sending Sadio Mané’s men home in the cruelest fashion imaginable.