Habib Diarra put Sénégal ahead against Belgique at Lumen Field in Seattle, and the move started with Iliman Ndiaye on the left of the attacking trident. The right-foot finish came after Ismaïla Sarr’s header struck the post, turning a half-chance into the opening goal.
Iliman Ndiaye in Senegal
Iliman Ndiaye was part of a Senegal front line that also included Sadio Mané and Sarr in a 4-3-3. Belgium still had to deal with an attack that had already forced them into action early, even before the goal changed the shape of the match.
Diarra’s strike was his sixth goal in twenty-four A selections. For Senegal, that is a clean return from a midfielder who arrived at the decisive moment, not from a second wave of pressure after the play had already broken down.
Belgique and Senegal
Belgique came in unbeaten in sixteen matches, with ten wins and six draws, but Senegal created the better start and had 60% possession in the first quarter-hour. Leandro Trossard was Belgium’s only player to put a shot on target early, and Thibaut Courtois stopped that right-foot attempt near his left post.
M. Said Martinez was the referee as Senegal also carried the weight of recent World Cup history against European teams. The team had lost its previous four World Cup matches against European nations, even though its first five such matches had produced three wins, one draw and one defeat.
Lumen Field in Seattle
The setting adds to the pressure on the opening goal. This is a knockout World Cup match at Lumen Field in Seattle, and Senegal’s lead against an unbeaten Belgique side immediately altered the game state before the hour of play had settled.
Belgique had not lost since a 3-1 defeat to Ukraine in March 2025 in the UEFA Nations League. Senegal does not need another spell of possession to justify the scoreline now; it already has the only finish that counts, and the next question is whether Belgique can answer before the match slips farther from its control.
