Senegal

Senegal has announced its full 26-player squad (+2) for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It’s the fourth time the country has qualified for the FIFA World Cup. They achieved their best World Cup during their debut in 2002. The Lions of Teranga successfully reached the quarter-finals of the tournament, where they were eliminated by a golden goal against Turkey.

Head coach and former player Pape Thiaw announced the full squad earlier today. The captain of the team is Kalidou Koulibaly. With 103 caps for the country, he is also one of the most experienced players in the squad. The absolute superstar is the legendary Sadio Mané. The 34-year-old has played 126 matches for Senegal and stands as the country’s all-time top scorer with 53 goals. Also, Idrissa Gana Gueye is one of the 26 players in the squad. He is the all-time leader in caps for the country with 131.

Head coach Pape Thiaw still has to cut two players from the squad to reach the allowed 26 players.

Full Squad Senegal For The 2026 FIFA World Cup

Goalkeepers: Édouard Mendy (Al-Ahli), Mory Diaw (Le Havre AC), Yehvann Diouf (OGC Nice)

Defenders: Krépin Diatta (AS Monaco), Antoine Mendy (OGC Nice), Kalidou Koulibaly (Al-Hilal), El Hadji Malick Diouf (West Ham United), Mamadou Sarr (Chelsea), Moussa Niakhaté (Lyon), Moustapha Mbow (Paris FC), Abdoulaye Seck (Maccabi Haifa), Ismaïl Jakobs (Galatasaray SK), Ilay Camara (Anderlecht)

Midfielders: Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton), Pape Gueye (Villarreal CF), Lamine Camara (AS Monaco), Habib Diarra (Sunderland), Pathé Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur), Bara Sapoko Ndiaye (Bayern Munich)

Forwards: Sadio Mané (Al-Nassr), Ismaïla Sarr (Crystal Palace), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton), Assane Diao (Como), Ibrahim Mbaye (PSG), Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea), Bamba Dieng (Lorient), Chérif Ndiaye (Samsunspor)

Qualification For The 2026 FIFA World Cup

Senegal qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in a group with DR Congo, Sudan, South Sudan, Togo, and Mauritania. The Lions of Teranga started at home with a 4-0 win against South Sudan. However, following that victory, the Senegalese picked up just six points from their next four matches. Due to three consecutive draws, DR Congo was able to overtake them at the top of the group. Both countries kept winning, setting up a crucial matchday-8 clash between the two sides in Kinshasa.

DR Congo took an early 2-0 lead and looked on their way to direct qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Senegal pulled off a brilliant comeback to score three goals, with Pape Sarr netting the winner in the 87th minute. With the win, Senegal took over the top of the group with two points ahead of DR Congo. Despite DR Congo winning their last two games, Senegal never looked back. With wins over South Sudan (0-5) and at home against Mauritania (4-0), Senegal qualified on October 15, 2026, for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The legendary Sadio Mané was the top goal scorer for Senegal during the qualifiers with five goals.

2026 FIFA World Cup

Senegal is part of Group I. The Senegalese open their World Cup on June 16 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, against two-time champions France. Six days later, they play Norway in the same stadium. For their final group stage match, they have to travel to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to take on Iraq on June 26. The two group winners and the eight best third-placed teams from each group will advance to the next stage.

Senegal Schedule

• June 16 – France (3 pm EST)
• June 22 – Norway (8 pm EST)
• June 26 – Iraq (3 pm EST)