Tielemans inspires Belgium to stunning comeback win over Senegal

Youri Tielemans captained Belgium to a stunning comeback victory against Senegal, scoring twice to secure a 3-2 win and a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16. The Aston Villa midfielder was instrumental in overturning a two-goal deficit in the closing minutes at Seattle Stadium.

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I’m proud of what we achieved and I’m happy to have helped the team out. All we wanted was to win, to play well and to represent our country as best we could. Now we need to go away and analyse why things didn’t go well for much of the match, starting with the two goals we conceded.

Tielemans ignited the fightback with a diving header and sealed the dramatic win with a calm penalty kick deep into extra time. This remarkable turnaround etched Belgium into World Cup history, becoming the first nation since their own 2018 victory over Japan to recover from a 2-0 deficit and win a match.

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For the first, I just tried to get my head to the ball by making a run into the penalty area. It all came together perfectly. I gave everything I had to score that goal.

Despite emerging as the hero, Tielemans emphasized the team's collective effort and the need to address the errors that nearly led to their early exit. "All we wanted was to win, to play well and to represent our country as best we could," he stated. "Now we need to go away and analyse why things didn’t go well for much of the match, starting with the two goals we conceded."

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Obviously, we’ve been practising penalties, which is so important in a tournament. In the moment, you just have to trust your ability and stay calm. I’m so happy I was able to do that and to score that goal.

Teammate Kevin De Bruyne lauded Tielemans' leadership, calling him a great servant and an inspirational figure both on and off the pitch. "I think he’s a fantastic guy and, thankfully, his two goals made the difference in getting us through today," De Bruyne said.

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Youri has been a great servant to Belgium. He is now leading the team as captain and is someone everyone can look to, both on and off the pitch. I think he’s a fantastic guy and, thankfully, his two goals made the difference in getting us through today.