Belgium celebrates victory: "We had the balls it takes"

Following a furious last-minute victory against Senegal, Belgium has qualified for the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup (to the highlights >>>).

The jubilation within head coach Rudi Garcia's team is correspondingly great.

"We showed fighting spirit, we really had the balls you need for a game like that," says striker Romelu Lukaku after the match. Until the 86th minute, Belgium was still trailing 0-2, before Lukaku (86th minute) and Youri Tielemans (89th minute) saved the game with their goals, forcing it into extra time.

There, the latter decided the match for the "Red Devils" with a penalty kick.

"I tried to regain my composure. I was completely exhausted by the game. In that moment, I had to take a deep breath and believe in my abilities," said Belgium's captain.

"In football, anything is possible"

"In football, anything is possible as long as you believe in it. The team's strength also lies in the players coming off the bench. You can't achieve success with just eleven players," said Belgium's national coach Rudi Garcia after the spectacular victory.

"We made the necessary adjustments; we played our passes from too far out, even though it wasn't necessary. We sorted that out and improved, even though we conceded a second goal," he summarized.

In Senegal, however, the disappointment is great despite the strong performance. "We're out – that hurts. We have to congratulate Belgium, they gave it their all. Unfortunately, we couldn't hold onto our two-goal lead. That's football, we have to accept it," said Senegal's head coach Pape Thiaw.