Youri Tielemans turned in the kind of performance that makes highlight reels feel inadequate. The Aston Villa midfielder was named FIFA Man of the Match after dragging Belgium back from the brink against Senegal in their 2026 World Cup group-stage clash on July 1, 2026.
A late equalizer and a cooler-than-ice penalty
Tielemans struck a last-minute equalizer to level the score at 1-1, sending the contest into extra time. When regulation couldn’t separate the two sides, it came down to penalties.
Tielemans stepped up to convert the decisive spot kick that sealed Belgium’s progression to the Round of 16. The winning penalty itself came after a VAR review.
Tielemans and the big-moment pedigree
