"You are HIM": Lukaku hails Tielemans after historic penalty contribution in Belgium's FIFA WC R16 move
Seattle, July 2
Following his side's win over Senegal to advance into the FIFA World Cup round of 16, Belgium star Romelu Lukaku hailed his teammate Youri Tielemans for his historic penalty conversion, which earned the side an awe-inspiring come-from-behind victory.
Tielemans was crowned 'Player of the Match' for scoring a goal in the regulation time and later on converting a penalty kick during his side's 3-2 win over Senegal.
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.
Celebrating his captain's incredible feat, Lukaku, the leading goal-scorer for the Red Devils, posted on Instagram a story of them celebrating together with a caption, "@youritielemans you are HIM"
There were scenes of ecstacy and celebration in the Belgian dressing room after they registered the win.
With water bottles and soft drinks on the table along with some fruit, it was the 'Player of the Match', Tielemans, who was leading the celebration with some music being played in the changing room. The entire team shouted and cheered themselves up with joy.
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
As an Indian football fan, I never thought I'd see such drama in a World Cup match. Senegal played brilliantly - becoming the first African nation to score 10 goals in a single edition is no small feat. But Belgium's never-say-die attitude is just inspiring. Respect to both teams!
Tielemans is literally rewriting history books! That penalty at 124:44 is insane - who even keeps their cool like that in extra time? Lukaku's "you are HIM" post says it all. Though I gotta say, Senegal deserved more, they played their hearts out. The US match should be 🔥
The VAR review completely changed the game. Without it, Senegal would have won. Sometimes I think technology interferes too much with the beautiful game - remember the controversies in ISL? But then again, if it's a foul, it's a foul. Belgium got lucky, but Tielemans earned that moment. 🇧🇪
As someone from the US, I'm both excited and worried about our Round of 16 clash. Belgium looked unstoppable in that second half comeback. But Bosnia was a tough opponent too, so USA is battle-ready. July 7 can't come soon enough! 🏆
Senegal scoring 10 goals in a single World Cup - proud moment for all of Africa! But Belgium's resilience shows why they're a powerhouse. The way Lukaku and Tielemans turned it around in the dying minutes is what football is all about. Reminds me of the 2011 Cricket World Cup quarterfinal - never give up! 🇮🇳⚽
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