EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsBelgium sealed a dramatic 3-2 win against Senegal in Seattle after two goals in three minutes in the dying moments took this Round of 32 tie into extra-time, with Rudy Garcia's side trailing 2-0 and facing elimination.A Youri Tielemans penalty in the 120th minute, awarded after a VAR intervention following a Lamine Camara challenge on the Aston Villa midfielder, utimately capped an incredible Belgian fightback to book a Round of 16 tie against the United States or Bosnia & Herzegovina.Senegal looked destined for the next round after taking a two-goal lead through Habib Diarra and Ismala Sarr. But Romelu Lukaku's 86th goal gave Belgium hope, before Tielemans stunned Senegal and took the game intro extra-time with an 89th minute header.Tielemans then settled the tie in Belgium's favour by scoring from the spot in the fifth minute of stoppage time at the end of extra-time, making it the latest winning goal in World Cup history.Rudi Garcia gamble pays off as Belgium cap a stunning fightbackWhen Belgium coach Rudi Garcia substituted star players Jrmy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne after 56 minutes with his team trailing 2-0, it looked like a bitter end for the country's hopes of living up to their fading golden generation tag.Doku was unhappy at the change and De Bruyne seemed bemused at what seemed to be his international farewell. But Garcia's tactical tweak sparked Belgium to life and halted Senegal's dominance -- even though a fightback seemed impossible as the clock ticked down to the final minutes.- World Cup 2026 bracket: Every team's path to the final- VAR Review: Did Belgium deserve game-winning penalty?- Why every round-of-32 team will, won't win World CupLukaku's goal was the one that gave Belgium hope and when Tielemans scored again three minutes later, Senegal were devastated. They had been so close to victory and a place in the Round of 16, but Belgium somehow found that extra element required to save themselves and give De Bruyne, Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois hope of finally enjoying success with their country after so many near misses.Belgium have been a big disappointment at this World Cup, but their fightback against Senegal might just be the catalyst for a hugely-talented team to go deep into the competition.Sarr earns his place among 2026 World Cup's starsIsmaila Sarr moved to within one goal of Ghana's Asamoah Gyan as Africa's all-time leading scorer at World Cups by taking his tally to five overall, and four at this tournament, when he put Senegal 2-0 ahead early in the second-half. It means that the Crystal Palace forward leaves the tournament just behind Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbapp (both 6) and Harry Kane and Erling Haaland (both 5) in the race for the Golden Boot.Even though Senegal's defeat ended his chances of topping the scoring charts, the 28-year-old has earned his place among the shooting stars at this tournament.The big mystery about Sarr is that he has not yet attracted the interest of a Champions League team because he has already proved his Premier League credentials with impressive returns for both Palace and Watford. Sarr has pace and clinical finishing ability and both were in evidence with his goal in Seattle.He is a dangerous forward with proven top-flight experience, and he's one the tournament will miss.Belgium send round of 16 warning to U.S. and Bosnia-HerzegovinaWhen Belgium defeated the USMNT in a friendly in March, it looked as though Mauricio Pochettino's team were miles behind the European side. But this World Cup has shown that the gap has closed, and if the co-hosts get past Bosnia & Herzegovina to seal a round of 16 tie against the Red Devils, they will do so with confidence that they can win.The same will apply to Bosnia because Belgium have shown their shortcomings and their age in this tournament. But Belgium showed in beating Senegal that they still have incredible fighting spirit and quality in their team, and they'll be a big test for whoever wins in San Francisco tonight.The big question is whether Belgium's fightback was a sign of things to come or one last flourish of their ability.
