Late VAR penalty sends Belgium past Senegal at World Cup

Belgium knocked Senegal out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 3-2 Round of 32 win in Seattle after a late penalty awarded following a VAR review, Al Jazeera and The Associated Press reported. The decision mattered because Senegal had led 2-0 and appeared close to reaching the round of 16 before Belgium completed its comeback.

Honduran referee Said Martinez gave the penalty near the end of the second period of extra time, with the match level at 2-2 and seemingly headed for a shootout, according to Al Jazeera and AP. The call followed a challenge by Senegal’s Lamine Camara on Belgium captain Youri Tielemans.

Tielemans took the kick and scored, giving Belgium its third goal and ending Senegal’s tournament, the outlets reported. Images from the match showed Senegal midfielder Pathe Ciss kneeling on the pitch after the penalty was awarded.

The decision quickly drew criticism from observers and fans online. Archivo VAR, a platform that analyzes refereeing decisions, said on X that VAR had intervened too heavily in the match and argued that Tielemans had put his foot in front of Camara, creating the contact.

Archivo VAR said the incident did not meet the standard for a clear and obvious error that would justify a review, according to Al Jazeera. The platform said the Belgian player had forced the contact, an interpretation that was echoed by several social media users cited by the outlet.

One fan described the call as a robbery and said Belgium did not deserve to advance, Al Jazeera reported. Sports content creator Sneako called the match “rigged” and said Senegal should leave the pitch, while another fan wrote that Camara had tried to clear the ball before Tielemans got in his path.

Spanish sports journalist Manolo Lama also criticized the decision on X, according to Al Jazeera. Egyptian journalist Mohamed Saeed linked the incident to Senegal’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco, saying the late penalty created another severe test for the team.

Al Jazeera reported that other users made the same comparison, with one saying Senegal had protested a penalty in the Africa Cup of Nations final but could not risk similar consequences at the World Cup. Another user wrote that Senegal stayed silent this time because the match was being played outside Africa.

On the field, Senegal players focused on the collapse rather than the debate over the call. Defender Krepin Diatta said the team had been close to “writing the beautiful pages” of Senegalese football history but had failed in its mission, according to Al Jazeera and AP.

Midfielder Habib Diarra, who scored Senegal’s first goal, said the team had played well in the first half but had not done enough over the full match, the outlets reported. “A match lasts 90 minutes, and we’re devastated,” he said. “We’ve only got ourselves to blame.”

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.