ABUJA, Nigeria: Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye announced on Thursday, July 2, 2026 that he is suspending his international football career as long as head coach Pape Thiaw remains in charge of the national team.
Okay News reports that the 27-year-old made the announcement on social media after the Teranga Lions lost 3 to 2 against Belgium during their 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match.
Gueye published a statement in French confirming his decision to withdraw from the squad under the current management. “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,” Gueye said.
The team was eliminated after taking a 2 to 0 lead in the first half with goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr. Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans scored late in the game for Belgium to force extra time. Tielemans then scored a penalty in the 125th minute following a video assistant referee review to secure the victory.
Thiaw received criticism regarding his substitutions during the match. The coach stated his decisions were based on the physical condition of the players on the field. “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,” Thiaw 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,” Thiaw said.
The defeat prevented Senegal from advancing to the quarter-finals, a stage the team last reached during their tournament debut in 2002.
