Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye has announced that he will no longer represent the national team while head coach Pape Thiaw remains in charge, following the Teranga Lions’ dramatic elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.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 squandered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to Belgium after extra time in their Round of 16 encounter.
Writing in French, Gueye said he would later address the team’s disappointing exit but confirmed he was stepping away from international football 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 them a commanding 2-0 advantage.
However, Belgium mounted an impressive comeback. Romelu Lukaku pulled one back before Youri Tielemans equalised late in regulation time. Tielemans then converted a penalty in the 125th minute after a VAR review, completing a remarkable 3-2 victory for the Red Devils.
The defeat ended Senegal’s hopes of reaching the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since their memorable debut campaign in 2002.
Gueye’s decision has intensified pressure on head coach Pape Thiaw, whose substitutions while protecting a two-goal lead have come under heavy criticism from supporters and football analysts.
Defending his decisions after the match, Thiaw insisted the changes were unavoidable because several players had become physically exhausted.
“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.”
It remains unclear whether Gueye’s decision is temporary or whether he will reconsider his international future should there be a change in the team’s coaching setup.