World Cup: Senegal Midfielder Gueye Quits National Team, Blames Coaching Crew
Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye has announced he will step away from international football for as long as head coach Pape Thiaw remains in charge, following the Teranga Lions’ dramatic exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 27-year-old made the announcement on social media shortly after Senegal squandered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to Belgium after extra time in their Round of 16 clash.
In a post written in French, Gueye said he would address the team’s elimination at a later date but made it clear he would not play under the current technical 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,” he wrote.
Senegal looked destined for a place in the quarter-finals after first-half goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr handed the African champions a comfortable 2-0 advantage.
However, Belgium staged a stunning comeback as Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans struck late to force extra time before Tielemans converted a penalty in the 125th minute, awarded after a VAR review, to complete a dramatic 3-2 victory.
The defeat ended Senegal’s bid to register their first World Cup knockout-stage victory since reaching the quarter-finals on their tournament debut in 2002.
Gueye’s decision has piled further pressure on Thiaw, whose substitutions while protecting a two-goal lead have drawn widespread criticism from fans and pundits.
Responding to the criticism after the match, Thiaw defended his decisions, insisting the substitutions were necessitated by player fatigue rather than tactical reasons.
“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,” the coach 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. These changes were dictated primarily by fatigue rather than tactical considerations.”
