Senegal have etched their name into World Cup history for all the wrong reasons, becoming the first side ever to be knocked out of the tournament after holding a two-goal lead at the 85th minute of a knockout match.

The Teranga Lions appeared to be cruising into the round of 16 after goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr had put them 2-0 ahead of Belgium with fewer than five minutes of normal time remaining in their FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 32 clash on Wednesday.

Belgium's stunning fightback

Romelu Lukaku ignited the comeback in the 86th minute, and three minutes later Youri Tielemans headed home from a Leandro Trossard cross to level the scores and force extra time — a remarkable turnaround given that Tielemans and Trossard had been involved in a heated argument on the touchline earlier in the match.

The decisive blow came in the 125th minute when a VAR review determined that Lamine Camara had fouled Tielemans inside the area. The Belgium captain stepped up and converted the penalty himself, completing a breathtaking 3-2 victory for his side.

According to Stats Foot, no team in the history of the World Cup's knockout rounds had ever been eliminated from a position of leading by two goals as late as the 85th minute — making this collapse a record Senegal's players and supporters will want to forget.

African teams' mixed day

Wednesday was a painful afternoon for African football. DR Congo also surrendered a lead, falling to England thanks to a brace from Harry Kane.

With Senegal and DR Congo now eliminated, six of Africa's ten World Cup qualifiers have been knocked out. Ghana, Cape Verde, Egypt, and Morocco remain the continent's representatives still in contention.