Belgium vs Senegal | FIFA World Cup 2026 — Round of 32 | Preview and Prediction

The Round of 32 line-up at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has some really tough encounters in store for us, this being another one of them. AFCON 2021 champions Senegal will take on European giants Belgium on July 2 at Seattle Stadium in the USA. 

For the game, here we present our preview and prediction.

FIFA WC26 | Ro32: BEL vs SEN | 01:30 IST, July 2, 2026

Both Belgium and Senegal came into this World Cup with great expectations, but they both have been underwhelming by their usual exceptional standards despite having reached the knockouts.

While Senegal were drawn in a potential group of death alongside France and Norway, Belgium had a relatively easier group on paper, but it took them the last group game against New Zealand to ensure qualification for the knockouts. They were unbeaten through the group stage with two draws and one win, eventually topping their group with a 5–1 win against the Kiwis, where Leandro Trossard scored a brace and Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Alexis Saelemaekers also got on the scoresheet. Elijah Just scored the sole consolation goal for New Zealand.

Trossard and Jérémy Doku have been the standout players for Belgium in this tournament, but even after creating numerous chances, Belgium were unable to win their first two games and could only manage draws against lower-ranked Egypt and Iran.

As for Senegal, they were somewhat fortunate that a big 5–0 win against Iraq and favourable results elsewhere ensured them a qualification berth even though they lost the other two games. They defeated a ten-men Iraqi side in their final group game, with Pape Gueye scoring a brace and Habib Diarra, Ismaïla Sarr, and Iliman Ndiaye also getting on the scoresheet. Sarr has been their most reliable forward, having scored three goals and bagged an assist in three games so far.

Zeno Debast will be unavailable for Belgium for this game due to a leg injury, while Édouard Mendy is out with a knee injury.

De Rode Duivels had trouble finishing their chances in the first two games, managing only a goal, but they scored five against New Zealand. However, against superior opposition, they look likely to struggle. As for Senegal, their problem hasn’t been scoring, as they have managed eight goals in three games, but they have lost two of them, which points towards defensive frailties.

We believe Senegal do have the firepower to trouble Belgium, but their defence will have to watch out for the likes of Doku and Trossard up front. Ultimately, we anticipate a close game, with Senegal defeating Belgium and booking their place in the round of 16.

Score Prediction: Belgium 1–2 Senegal
Venue: Seattle Stadium, Seattle, Washington, USA