FIFA World Cup 2026: Senegal's Ismaila Sarr makes history in R32 clash against Belgium
Seattle, July 2
Senegal and Crystal Palace star Ismaila Sarr made history during his side's FIFA World Cup round of 32 match against Belgium, becoming the joint-highest goal scorer from an African nation during a single FIFA World Cup campaign.
Sarr gave Senegal a lead in the 24th minute, which was doubled just a few minutes into the second half. But a fantastic effort from Romelu Lukaku and Youri Thielemans took the match to extra time, where the latter nailed a historic penalty to secure a round of 16 spot for Belgium.
Sarr, 28, has scored four goals in the tournament so far, which is the joint-most by an African in a single FIFA WC edition, along with four by Cameroon's Roger Milla in the 1990 edition, as per OptaJoe.
After Habib Diarra (24th minute) and Ismaila Sarr (51st minute) scored and another giant seemed to be on its way out, Romelu Lukaku (86th minute) and Tielemans (89th minute) changed the course of the game, taking it to extra time.
Tielemans took the penalty after the VAR review awarded his team one for Lamine Camara's foul on Tielemans, sealing one of the tournament's most dramatic victories and rewriting the World Cup record books. His winning penalty in the 124th minute and 44th second broke the previous timeline records for late game-winners, becoming the latest goal ever scored in FIFA World Cup history.
Despite the defeat, Senegal also achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first African nation to score 10 goals in a single edition of the FIFA World Cup.
Now Belgium will face the USA, who beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0, in the round of 16 clash at Seattle on June 7.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Heartbreaking for Senegal but what a tournament they've had! First African nation to score 10 goals in a single World Cup - that's iconic. Sarr joining Roger Milla in the record books is special. Meanwhile, we're still waiting for India to even qualify once. 😔
That Tielemans penalty was insane - 124th minute! But VAR decision was controversial. Lamine Camara's tackle didn't look intentional. Football's beauty and brutality in one match. USA vs Belgium next should be interesting!
As a neutral, this was absolute cinema! Lukaku's late goal gave me chills. Senegal were 2-0 up with 10 minutes left and somehow Belgium pulled through. Sarr has been the revelation of the tournament though - Premier League quality on full display.
Africa's time is coming! Senegal proved they can compete with European giants. Imagine if African teams got the same resources as European ones. Sarr and Diarra were phenomenal. The future of African football looks bright - maybe India can take inspiration from their grassroots programs.
Gutted for Senegal fans but what a match! The VAR call was harsh but technically correct. Belgium's comeback shows their champion mentality. Sarr's record is impressive - hope African football keeps growing. Now Belgium vs USA should be a cracker!
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