Top African Footballers Retire After 2026 World Cup
The 2026 FIFA World Cup saw the retirement of several notable African footballers from international duty. Sadio Mané, the captain of the Senegal National Team, announced his retirement after Senegal's 3–2 defeat to Belgium in the Round of 16, concluding his international career with 132 caps and 55 goals.
Riyad Mahrez retired following Algeria's 2–0 loss to Switzerland in the Round of 32, finishing with 119 caps and 40 goals, and having previously stated that the World Cup would be his last tournament. Defender Mandi also retired after Algeria's exit, having accumulated over 120 caps.
Ivory Coast's Seri, who made his World Cup debut at 35, announced his retirement in July after 66 appearances. Inaki Williams retired on September 11, 2026, after Ghana's 1–0 defeat to Colombia, ending his international career with 28 caps.
Edouard Mendy, the only goalkeeper among the retirees, announced his retirement on September 14, 2026, after earning 60 caps and contributing to Senegal's AFCON triumph in 2021.
Plus234Feed summary based on reporting from Legit.ng. Read the original report below.
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