Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye has stepped away from international duty for as long as head coach Pape Thiaw remains in charge, a decision he announced after the Teranga Lions crashed out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 27-year-old confirmed his stance on social media hours after Senegal let a two-goal lead slip and fell 3-2 to Belgium after extra time in the Round of 16.
In a post written in French, Gueye said he would discuss the team’s elimination later but stressed he would not feature 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 had looked on course for a first World Cup quarter-final appearance since 2002 after Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr struck in the first half to put the African champions 2-0 up. Belgium responded with late goals from Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans to force extra time, before Tielemans converted a 125th-minute penalty awarded after a VAR review to seal a 3-2 win.
The defeat ended Senegal’s hopes of securing a first World Cup knockout victory in 24 years and immediately sparked backlash over Thiaw’s in-game management. Critics singled out the timing and nature of his substitutions while the team was protecting a two-goal cushion.
Addressing the criticism post-match, Thiaw defended the changes, saying they were driven by fitness concerns rather than tactics. “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,” he 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.
”Gueye’s decision adds to the pressure on Thiaw, with the midfielder’s withdrawal highlighting growing tensions within the squad following the dramatic loss.
