SEATTLE
Senegal star Ismaila Sarr carved his name into the record books, even though his team suffered a painful World Cup exit against Belgium. The Crystal Palace winger gave Senegal a brilliant start, scoring a historic goal in the 51st minute after teammate Habib Diarra had opened the scoring in the first half. With that strike, the 28-year-old Sarr reached four goals in this tournament. This ties him with Cameroon legend Roger Milla for the most goals scored by an African player in a single World Cup campaign.
Senegal looked ready to pull off a massive upset with their 2-0 lead. They even made history as the first African nation to score 10 goals in one World Cup tournament. However, Belgium refused to back down. Late goals from Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans shocked Senegal, sending the intense match into extra time.
The drama peaked in the final seconds. Following a VAR review for a foul on Tielemans, Belgium was awarded a penalty. Tielemans calmly stepped up and smashed the ball into the net at 124 minutes and 44 seconds. It became the latest winning goal ever scored in World Cup history, sealing a dramatic 3-2 victory for Belgium.
While Senegal heads home with their heads held high after a heroic effort, Belgium celebrates a miraculous escape. The European giants will now stay in Seattle to face the United States in a thrilling round of 16 knockout match this coming Monday.
