Belgium completes stunning comeback, joins England and US in last 16

Belgium’s 3-2 extra-time win over Senegal at Seattle Stadium delivered the night’s most dramatic rescue, but it also raised the same question now hanging over England and the United States: did these contenders solve their weaknesses, or simply survive them? Belgium joined England and the U.S. in the last 16 after three tightly framed knockout victories on Tuesday, July 1, in a 23rd World Cup that is the first to feature 48 teams, 104 matches and three host countries, Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Senegal looked in command after Diarra scored in the 25th minute and Sarr added another in the 51st. Belgium did not level until the final minutes, when Romelu Lukaku scored in the 86th and Youri Tielemans made it 2-2 three minutes later. Tielemans then settled it from the penalty spot deep into added time at 120+5. FIFA described the finish as an incredible comeback, and the sequence showed why Belgium still remains dangerous under pressure. It also showed how much ground the team had to recover after spending most of the match chasing Senegal.

England’s 2-1 victory over Congo DR at Atlanta Stadium carried a different warning. Brian Cipenga put Congo DR ahead in the seventh minute, and England spent much of the match looking for a response before Harry Kane changed everything with goals in the 75th and 86th minutes. Kane’s double sent England through, but it also made clear how heavily the side leaned on its captain to turn a poor start into a save.

The United States faced its own test of control at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. Folarin Balogun scored in the 45th minute and Malik Tillman added a second in the 82nd, but Balogun was sent off and the Americans still had to close out a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. For the United States men’s national team, the result carried extra weight: FIFA lists its last World Cup knockout-stage win as the 2-0 victory over Mexico in 2002.

That sets up a July 6 meeting between the United States and Belgium in Seattle, a round-of-16 matchup that will show whether these teams are building championship form or just collecting escapes.