Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye has announced that he will step away from international football for as long as head coach Pape Thiaw remains in charge, following the Teranga Lions’ dramatic elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 27-year-old made the announcement on social media shortly after Senegal’s 3-2 extra-time defeat to Belgium in their Round of 16 clash, a result that ended their tournament run.
In his post written in French, Gueye said he would speak about the team’s exit at a later time but insisted his decision regarding his international future was immediate.
“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 appeared on course for a quarter-final place after taking a 2-0 lead through first-half goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr.
However, Belgium mounted a late comeback, with Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans scoring to force extra time before Tielemans converted a 125th-minute penalty following a VAR review to seal a 3-2 victory.
The defeat ended Senegal’s hopes of reaching a first World Cup knockout-stage win since their historic debut run to the quarter-finals in 2002.
Gueye’s announcement has added to scrutiny of head coach Pape Thiaw, whose late-game substitutions during the collapse have been widely questioned by fans and analysts.
Thiaw, however, defended his decisions after the match, insisting the changes were made due to player fatigue rather than tactical errors.
“They were tired and couldn’t continue. Leaving them on the field would have been unprofessional on our part,” he said.
“Of course, when you lose a match after leading 2-0, people will talk about the substitutions. But these changes were dictated primarily by fatigue rather than tactical considerations.”
