New Delhi: The Round of 32 is heating up in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with four of 10 matches witnessing a comeback. With Belgium coming back from 2-0 down against Senegal early Thursday to secure a berth in the Round of 16, the total number of comebacks in this tournament stands at 11—the most in the world’s biggest football tournament.
Senegal scored in the 24th and 51st minutes to take a commanding lead against Belgium before Romelu Lukaku scored in the 86th minute to pull one back. In the 89th minute, Youri Tielemans equalised for The Red Devils, pushing the match to extra time. Just before the final whistle, Tielemans sublimely converted a penalty to the top-right corner to secure the win.
“Being part of this comeback is a proud moment because I scored the last two goals to give the team the win today. I’m very proud of that to be able to help the team to score goals and bring us over the line,” Tielemans said after the match.
In the other Round of 32 fixture, England conceded an early goal against DR Congo late Wednesday. Captain Harry Kane scored two late goals (75th and 86th minutes) to spare the blushes for The Three Lions.
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‘A welcome step’
Such turnarounds have made the 2026 edition the highest-scoring World Cup for comebacks, surpassing the previous record of 10 set in 2014 in Brazil. Belgium and England’s turnaround is the latest comeback witnessed in the tournament. Before this, several group-stage matches also saw last-minute drama. This has been seen in both tournament favourites and the underdogs.
Football experts have pointed to a combination of tactical and rule changes behind the growing number of comebacks. The five-substitution rule and extended stoppage time have fundamentally altered modern-day football. By allowing managers to refresh half of their outfield players, trailing teams can sustain high-intensity pressing and overload tired defenses in the closing stages, while larger amounts of added time provide essential minutes to capitalise on this momentum.
“The adoption of the five-substitute rule is a welcome step forward in what needs to be an ongoing effort to address issues with player fatigue, making sure they have the opportunity to perform at their best and to maintain the competitive edge that makes English football the best in the world,” Chief Executive of the Players Football Association (PFA), Maheta Molango, had said.
The expanded 48-team format has also added a different dimension. With more teams making it to the knockout stage, several underdogs have shown greater belief against traditional football powers instead of sitting back after taking the lead. As a result, matches have remained open until the final whistle.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup still has six Round of 32 matches, with defending champions Argentina yet to take on debutants Cabo Verde early Saturday.