Senegal’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign has suffered another major setback after midfielder Pape Gueye announced he is stepping away from international football for as long as head coach Pape Thiaw remains in charge.
The 27-year-old made the announcement following Senegal’s painful Round of 16 exit, where the Teranga Lions surrendered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to Belgium after extra time.
According to Punch Newspapers, Gueye shared his decision on social media in a post written in French, saying he would speak further about Senegal’s elimination later but had no intention of continuing under the current coaching crew.
“I’ll come back to speak about our elimination, but today I announce that as long as this technical staff remains, I will take a break from the national team,” Gueye wrote.
Senegal had looked firmly in control of the match after first-half goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr gave them a commanding 2-0 lead.
But Belgium mounted a dramatic comeback. Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans scored late to force extra time before Tielemans converted a penalty in the 125th minute after a VAR review to seal a stunning victory.
The defeat ended Senegal’s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals and securing their first World Cup knockout-stage win since their memorable debut run in 2002.
Gueye’s decision has intensified pressure on Thiaw, whose substitutions while protecting Senegal’s lead have drawn criticism from fans and analysts.
Speaking after the match, Thiaw defended his decisions, insisting fatigue forced the changes rather than tactical choices.
“They were tired and couldn’t continue. Leaving them on the field would have been unprofessional on our part. We had to replace them like for like,” Thiaw said.
“Of course, when you lose a match after leading 2-0, people will talk about the substitutions. But you can’t reduce everything to that.”
