Lukaku sends Senegal out as Garcia faces racism storm

Belgium knock Senegal out of the World Cup

Your World Cup is over. Belgium beat Senegal in the round of 32, and Romelu Lukaku was the difference (5). The striker came off the bench and scored the goal that saved Belgium from elimination (5). Lukaku had called Senegal the toughest possible opponent before the match. He was right to be worried, but he found a way through.

Garcia's pre-match comment blows up

Belgium coach Rudi Garcia is facing racism accusations over a remark made about Senegal before the match, and he spent the aftermath defending himself (1) (3) (4). Belgian media ran a site dedicated to apologizing to Garcia, which only added fuel to the fire (3). Garcia has now responded publicly, rejecting the accusations (1) (4).

Belgian celebrations registered on seismographs

The goals that knocked you out literally shook the ground. A seismic observatory detected clear spikes each time Belgium scored, driven by the intensity of supporter celebrations (2). The observatory was not expecting to pick up football fans.

Fan reactions

The mood is raw. Fans are pointing to deeper dysfunction in the Senegal camp, specifically around Pape Thiaw's contract situation before the Norway match. One source described a coach packing his bags six hours before kickoff, with representatives threatening he would not take his place on the bench if the contract was not signed. Full thread here.