Lukaku's mental hurdle forces him to hand penalty to Tielemans

In the World Cup round‑of‑16 clash between Belgium and Senegal, striker Romelu Lukaku handed the decisive 120th‑minute penalty to teammate Youri Tielemans, who scored to make it 3‑2, after Lukaku admitted he was still coping with mentally difficult moments during the match. Youri Tielemans stepped up in the 120th minute, placed the ball on the spot and converted the penalty, giving Belgium a 3‑2 lead. The goal sent the Red Devils into the round‑of‑16 stage of the World Cup. With five minutes remaining in regular time, the 16th‑final exit appeared imminent for Belgium. Lukaku revived the attack in the 86th minute, and three minutes later Tielemans levelled the score.

Lukaku’s choice to hand penalty to Tielemans fuels Belgium’s comeback

saw the southerners claim the victory, leaving Belgium eliminated from the tournament. The final score stood at 3‑2 in favour of Senegal. After the match, Romelu Lukaku said, “Het was intens, maar we hebben karakter en ballen getoond. Zeges zoals deze heb je nodig om de groep nog meer te verenigen. Dit zijn de mooiste overwinningen voor ons en voor de fans. Technisch, fysiek, tactisch: het was echt moeilijk.” He emphasized the technical, physical and tactical difficulty of the encounter. Lukaku added, “Of ik wilde trappen? Ja, maar mentaal beleef ik nog wat moeilijke momenten, dus dan laat ik zo’n belangrijk moment liever aan Youri over. Het team gaat boven alles.” He explained that he preferred to let Tielemans take the crucial spot‑kick because the team comes first. The juxtaposition of Lukaku’s personal mental struggle with his decision to defer the penalty highlights the collective ethos of the Belgian squad. As they depart the tournament, the team must reconcile the narrow defeat with the unity displayed in a hard‑fought contest.