Senegal international Pape Gueye has announced he will step away from the national team for as long as head coach Pape Thiaw remains in charge, following Senegal’s dramatic elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Gueye made the announcement shortly after Senegal suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Belgium in their Round of 16 clash, a match in which they squandered a two-goal lead.
In a post shared on social media, the midfielder said he would address the team’s exit in full at a later time but was firm about his decision to distance himself from the squad under the current technical leadership.
“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 place in the quarter-finals after first-half goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr gave them a 2-0 advantage.
However, Belgium mounted a late comeback through goals from Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans, forcing 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 reaching their first World Cup knockout victory since their historic 2002 quarter-final run.
Gueye’s decision has intensified scrutiny on head coach Pape Thiaw, with fans and analysts questioning substitutions made while protecting a two-goal lead.
Thiaw defended his decisions after the match, insisting the changes were driven by fatigue rather than tactical errors.
“They were tired and couldn’t continue. Leaving them on the field would have been unprofessional. We had to replace them like for like,” he said.
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