Belgium completes stunning World Cup comeback against Senegal to set up potential showdown with USA

The United States present knows which squad could beryllium waiting successful the Round of 16 astatine the 2026 World Cup.

Belgium rallied from a two-goal shortage to decision Senegal, 3-2 successful other time, successful Wednesday's World Cup Round of 32 match, earning a imaginable matchup with the Americans if the United States takes attraction of Bosnia and Herzegovina aboriginal successful the night.

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A triumph implicit Bosnia would not conscionable nonstop the Americans into the Round of 16 for the 2nd consecutive World Cup. It would acceptable up a gathering with a Belgium squad that conscionable completed 1 of the wildest comebacks successful the tournament.

Youri Tielemans #8 of Belgium celebrates with teammates aft scoring his team's 2nd extremity during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 lucifer betwixt Belgium and Senegal astatine Seattle Stadium connected July 1, 2026. (Jared C. Tilton - FIFA / Getty Images)

Belgium finished 3rd successful the 2018 World Cup and failed to beforehand past the radical signifier successful 2022, but the roster inactive had the prima powerfulness to marque different heavy run. Kevin De Bruyne, Jérémy Doku, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois gave the Belgians the benignant of accomplishment that makes a squad unsafe successful immoderate tournament. It's wherefore Belgium was favored to decision Senegal.

But games aren't played connected paper.

Senegal got connected the committee archetypal successful the 25th minute, erstwhile Habib Diarra cleaned up a rebound aft Ismaila Sarr deed the station to springiness Senegal a 1-0 lead.

The lucifer was concisely interrupted successful the 32nd infinitesimal erstwhile astatine slightest 3 transportation invaders made their mode onto the field, forcing officials to halt play portion information responded.

Security unit swarmed the tract during the interruption arsenic Belgium defender Maxim De Cuyper held onto the shot portion the country unfolded.

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Photos from the lucifer showed aggregate radical being apprehended oregon escorted distant by information during the bizarre stoppage.

Security unit apprehend aggregate transportation invaders during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 lucifer betwixt Belgium and Senegal astatine Seattle Stadium connected July 1, 2026. (Getty Images)

It was a unusual interruption successful the mediate of a lucifer Senegal had mostly controlled. And it didn’t bash overmuch to alteration the travel of the game.

Senegal doubled the pb aboriginal successful the 2nd half. Sarr, who had already helped make Diarra’s opener by hitting the post, made Belgium wage again successful the 51st infinitesimal disconnected a walk from Moussa Niakhaté to enactment Senegal firmly successful control.

At that point, Senegal seemed similar a fastener to beforehand to the Round of 16 for the 2nd consecutive World Cup.

But the talented Belgium squad refused to spell down easily.

Lukaku chopped Senegal’s pb successful fractional successful the 86th minute, finishing disconnected a setup from Thomas Meunier to springiness Belgium life.

Moments later, Youri Tielemans completed the comeback, scoring disconnected a walk from Leandro Trossard to marque it 2-2 and throwing what looked similar a Senegal upset into implicit chaos.

Perhaps surprisingly, Belgium mounted its chaotic comeback without 2 of its stars connected the field. De Bruyne and Doku were some subbed disconnected successful the 56th infinitesimal with Belgium trailing 2-0.

The contiguous replacements did not origin straight into either goal, but Belgium’s seat inactive played a large role: halftime substitute Lukaku scored the first, and Thomas Meunier, who came connected successful the 78th minute, assisted it.

After scoring the equalizer precocious successful regulation, Tielemans stepped to the punishment spot successful the 120+5th infinitesimal and buried the go-ahead extremity to implicit Belgium’s stunning comeback.

Senegal went from starring 2-0 successful the 86th infinitesimal to watching its tourney tally travel to an extremity little than an hr later.

Now the absorption shifts to the Americans.

The U.S. enters Wednesday night's lucifer astatine Levi’s Stadium with a accidental to support its World Cup tally live successful beforehand of a location crowd. The reward is clear: bushed Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Belgium is next.

Auston Trusty celebrates with teammates aft scoring the United States' archetypal extremity during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D lucifer against Türkiye astatine Los Angeles Stadium. (Jared C. Tilton/FIFA via Getty Images)

The USMNT was favored to beforehand to the quarterfinals connected its broadside of the Round of 32 draw, with Belgium arsenic the 2nd favorite. For astir of the match, it looked similar the Americans mightiness debar Belgium altogether.

Not anymore.

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The Belgians survived and are riding precocious disconnected a heroic comeback, possibly making the U.S. way that overmuch much difficult. But earlier the Americans tin adjacent deliberation astir that, they person to instrumentality attraction of concern against Bosnia.

If they do, their Round of 16 hostile is set.

Belgium volition beryllium waiting.