Gueye Quits Senegal Team After World Cup Exit

Pape Gueye, a 27-year-old midfielder for the Senegal National Football Team, announced his decision to step away from international football, attributing his departure to the coaching crew led by head coach Pape Thiaw. This announcement came shortly after Senegal's dramatic exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where they squandered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to Belgium in the Round of 16.

Gueye made his announcement on social media, expressing dissatisfaction with the current technical staff. Senegal had initially taken a 2-0 lead with goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr, but Belgium staged a comeback with late goals from Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans, the latter converting a penalty in the 125th minute after a VAR review.

Gueye's decision adds pressure on Thiaw, whose substitutions during the match drew widespread criticism from fans and pundits.