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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
This isn’t the first time Tielemans has shown up when the stakes are at their highest. His previous signature moment came back in 2021, when he scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final for Leicester City against Chelsea.
At Aston Villa, he carries an 85 overall rating in EA Sports FC 26, which puts him firmly in the upper tier of midfielders in the game’s simulation.
What this means for Belgium’s World Cup campaign
Belgium have been consistently ranked within the top 10 globally for multiple years. They reached the World Cup semifinals in 2018, and their progression to the Round of 16 in 2026 keeps their ambitions alive.
For Senegal, it was a brutal way to lose. They held the advantage for the vast majority of the match and were seconds away from what would have been a landmark result.
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