Senegal World Cup Hero Pape Gueye Boycotts National Team
Senegal's dramatic World Cup elimination has triggered immediate internal turmoil, with midfielder Pape Gueye announcing an indefinite break from the national team until the current coaching staff is replaced.
The 27-year-old Villarreal player issued the ultimatum on social media just hours after the Teranga Lions lost against Belgium in their round-of-32 match. Senegal appeared comfortable and on track for the next round after goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaïla Sarr built a 2-0 advantage.
Gueye started the match but was substituted for Lamine Camara in the 66th minute. Following his substitution, the team unraveled. Romelu Lukaku scored in the 86th minute to pull one back for Belgium, and Youri Tielemans equalized just three minutes later after combining with Leandro Trossard, sending the game into extra time.
The match seemed headed for a penalty shootout until the 125th minute, when the video assistant referee (VAR) flagged a foul by Camara on Tielemans. Tielemans converted the subsequent penalty to secure a 3-2 win for Belgium and eliminate Senegal.
Following the defeat, Gueye posted an explosive message on his Instagram account, writing:
“I will come back to tell you some more words regarding our elimination, but I announce today that as long as this technical staff are in place, I will be taking a break from the national team.”
When questioned by reporters about his substitution, Gueye disputed head coach Pape Thiaw's post-match claims that he was taken off due to exhaustion. "Physically I was good," Gueye asserted, adding, "but the coach has taken his choices, and we have to respect that. You'll have to ask the coach [about why I was subbed], he's the one who makes those decisions."
The sudden international retirement marks a sharp turn of events for Gueye, who was the hero of Senegal's highly controversial Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign in January. During the AFCON final against Morocco, Thiaw famously ordered his players off the pitch in protest of a stoppage-time penalty awarded to Morocco. Following a 17-minute delay, the players returned, the penalty was saved, and Gueye subsequently scored the extra-time winner.
However, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) later overturned the result due to Senegal's walk-off, stripping them of the title and declaring Morocco the official tournament winners. The Senegalese Football Federation has since taken the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in an attempt to reclaim the trophy.
Gueye's abrupt exit caps off a turbulent World Cup campaign for Senegal. The squad was plagued by off-field distractions, including rumors of unpaid bonuses, catering issues at their accommodations, and a tense contractual standoff between Thiaw and the federation. While Thiaw eventually signed an extension during the tournament, the team's shaky group-stage losses to France and Norway, coupled with their late-game collapse against Belgium and Gueye's public protest, have piled massive pressure on the federation to reconsider the manager's future.
