Senegal were eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after captain Youri Tielemans converted a late penalty for Belgium. The penalty was controversial, but the Teranga Lions could not protest similarly to how they did in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final. The aftermath of that AFCON final is still ongoing in a legal battle with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and forced FIFA into a new rule.
Match Summary: Senegal's Collapse Against Belgium
Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr put Senegal two goals ahead until the 86th minute, when they capitulated and conceded two goals in three minutes. Romelu Lukaku pulled one back for Belgium in the 86th minute, and Youri Tielemans added the second three minutes later to take the match to extra time. In the 125th minute of extra time, referee Said Martinez awarded a penalty to Belgium after a VAR check on Lamine Camara’s foul on Tielemans. Tielemans stepped up and converted the penalty to send the Red Devils through to the Round of 16, while Senegal exited the tournament in heartbreak, as noted by FSF. Belgium will face co-hosts United States in the Round of 16 after the Mauricio Pochettino-led side defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0.
Why Senegal Did Not Protest Belgium's Penalty
Senegal conceded a late penalty in the AFCON 2025 final against Morocco in January and walked off the pitch, disrupting the match for about 17 minutes. Brahim Diaz missed the penalty after calm was restored by Sadio Mane. Senegal won through Pape Gueye’s goal, but CAF stripped them of the title, leading to an unresolved case at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The Teranga Lions stars were furious at the penalty, but they remained on the pitch as a new rule implemented before the tournament prohibits a repeat of what they did in Rabat.
New FIFA Rules: The Anti-Senegal Law
As noted by FIFA, the world football governing body and the International Football Association Board (IFAB) implemented new rules before the World Cup. The rule, which many called the anti-Senegal law, introduced red cards for players leaving the pitch and the managers who incite them to do so. The rule also introduced automatic forfeiture for any team whose actions lead to the abandonment of a football match, after the case of Senegal. Another rule implemented before the World Cup was a red card for players covering their mouths while speaking to opponents, introduced after Gianluca Prestianni and Vinicius’ saga in the UEFA Champions League last season. Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron and Ecuador’s Piero Hincapie have fallen victim at the World Cup.
CAF Releases Statement on Senegal
Legit.ng previously reported that CAF published a statement on Senegal after the Teranga Lions suffered an embarrassing exit from the 2026 World Cup. CAF highlighted the major issues that caused Senegal’s collapse against Belgium, which head coach Pape Thiaw agrees with after their elimination.
