Senegal Exit World Cup on 125th-Minute VAR Penalty as Belgium Completes 3-2 Comeback
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 2
Senegal Exit World Cup on 125th-Minute VAR Penalty as Belgium Completes 3-2 Comeback
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 2
Summary
A 125th-minute penalty awarded after a VAR review sent Senegal out of the World Cup round of 32, turning a 2-2 tie into a 3-2 Belgium win.
Archivo VAR, a refereeing-analysis platform, said the review should not have happened because Youri Tielemans initiated the contact with Lamine Camara and there was no clear, obvious error.
Tielemans converted the spot kick after Senegal had led 2-0 and controlled most of the match, only to concede three goals in the closing stages.
Social media and commentators denounced the decision as a robbery, while Senegal players focused on their collapse, saying a strong first half was wasted and they had only themselves to blame.
The disputed finish revived memories of Senegal's contentious 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco, widening the backlash beyond a single knockout match.