Senegal's 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign came to a dramatic end after they surrendered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to Belgium after extra time in their Round of 32 clash.

Pape Thiaw's side appeared to be in complete control after first-half goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr put the Lions of Teranga 2-0 ahead with only four minutes of normal time remaining.

However, Belgium staged a remarkable comeback. Romelu Lukaku pulled one back in the 86th minute before captain Youri Tielemans headed in an equaliser three minutes later from Leandro Trossard's cross to force extra time.

Senegal's exit was confirmed in the closing moments of extra time when Belgium were awarded a penalty following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review for Lamine Camara's challenge on Tielemans. The Belgian captain converted from the spot in the 125th minute to complete the turnaround.

The defeat brought further disappointment for Senegal, who were stripped of their Africa Cup of Nations title earlier this year following events surrounding the final against Morocco.

Speaking after the match, head coach Pape Thiaw praised his players despite the result.

"We're out – it hurts. We must congratulate the team, who gave it their all, but unfortunately we weren't able to hold on to our two-goal lead. We have to accept this. That's football," he said.

The decisive penalty proved controversial, with the award only being made after a lengthy VAR review. Former England defender Gary Neville questioned the decision, saying he did not believe it should have been a penalty, while Roy Keane described the decision as "a bit harsh".

For Senegal, the incident echoed the controversy of the Africa Cup of Nations final in January, when Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty after a VAR review involving El Hadji Malick Diouf. Following that match, Senegal were later stripped of the title despite their 1-0 victory after the team left the field before the game had officially concluded.

The defeat ends Senegal's World Cup campaign despite a performance that had them on course for qualification until the closing stages of normal time. Belgium advance to the Round of 16 after completing one of the competition's most dramatic comebacks.