Collapse beyond logic! Senegal becomes the first victim of such a comeback in World Cup history
Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
The Senegal national team made World Cup history, but not in the way they would have hoped: they became the first side ever to be knocked out of the playoffs after holding a two-goal lead in the 85th minute.
Details: According to Stats Foot, Senegal led Belgium by two goals in the 85th minute, but ultimately lost 2-3 and exited World Cup 2026.
Senegal had a comfortable cushion and were just minutes away from a sensational victory over their European opponents. But Belgium managed to pull off a dramatic rescue, forcing extra time, with the decisive blow coming deep in overtime.
In the 125th minute, Youri Tielemans converted a penalty to seal a memorable Belgian victory. This match will now go down in the record books as a historic collapse: never before had a team been knocked out of a World Cup after leading by two goals so late in the game.
Reminder: As we reported earlier, referee Said Martinez, after a VAR review, awarded a penalty to Belgium, and Tielemans coolly slotted home the winner in the 125th minute.
