Belgium advanced to the World Cup quarter-finals after a dramatic 3-2 extra-time victory over Senegal, with Youri Tielemans scoring the winning penalty at the 125th minute—the latest goal in World Cup history. However, it was Romelu Lukaku's decision to hand the ball to Tielemans that drew particular attention in the aftermath.
Lukaku, who had scored Belgium's first comeback goal in the 86th minute as the team fought back from 2-0 down, explained his reasoning: "Yes, but mentally I'm not ready for such difficult and crucial moments, so I'd rather leave it to Youri. The team comes before everything else."
Belgium had been trailing 2-0 late in regular time before striking twice within three minutes to force extra time. The dramatic turnaround and controversial penalty decision ultimately determined the knockout stage outcome.