"Belgium comes from behind against Senegal and advances to the round of 16 with a penalty in the 125th minute"

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SEATTLE (EFE). Belgium staged a dramatic comeback to beat Senegal 3-2 and qualify for the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup thanks to a penalty converted by Youri Tielemans in the 125th minute.

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The team led by Rudi García was on the verge of elimination after being down 2-0, but reacted in the final minutes of regulation time to force extra time and complete an epic qualification.

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Senegal opened the scoring in the 25th minute through Habib Diarra and extended their lead at the start of the second half with a great goal from Ismaïla Sarr, who finished with quality after controlling the ball at speed.

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With the outlook looking uphill, Belgium found an unexpected reaction following the entry of Romelu Lukaku. The striker scored in the 86th minute after an assist from Thomas Meunier and, just three minutes later, Tielemans leveled the score with a header following a cross from Leandro Trossard.

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Before the equalizer, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had prevented the 3-0 with a great save against Sadio Mané, an action that ended up being decisive in keeping the Europeans alive.

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In extra time, both teams had opportunities, including a shot against the crossbar by Dodi Lukebakio. However, the decisive play came in the 119th minute, when the Honduran referee Said Martínez reviewed an action on the monitor following a VAR intervention and signaled a penalty in favor of Belgium.

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Tielemans executed with precision from the penalty spot in the 125th minute to seal the final 3-2 score and complete a comeback that seemed impossible when the clock hit the 85th minute.

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With this victory, Belgium advanced to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup after surviving a match that they had practically lost for a large part of the encounter.

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