Senegal enter the first 48-team World Cup as Africa's second best side in the Fifa rankings. In the sixth instalment of a nine-part series on African squads at the tournament, RFI looks at a nation making its fourth appearance fresh from heartbreak at the continent's Cup of Nations.
Issued on: 06/06/2026 - 18:18Modified: 06/06/2026 - 18:19
3 min Reading time
Senegal advanced to their third World Cup in a row after winning a qualifying group that featured Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sudan, Togo, Mauritania and South Sudan. They clinched qualification with a 4-0 romp past Mauritania at the Diamniadio Olympic Stadium in Dakar last October. In January, there was more joy as Senegal players celebrated victory over Morocco in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah in Rabat. But a few months after the 1-0 win, the Confederation of African Football, which organises the tournament, upheld an appeal from Morocco – who said Senegal should have lost the game after their players walked off the pitch without the referee's permission in protest over one of his decisions. Senegalese football federation chiefs have asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn Caf's decision. Africa's finest: Morocco, African champions by ruling Missed chances As arbitrators consider whether Morocco or Senegal should claim the crown, Senegal, at 14 in Fifa's list of 211 nations, will pit their wits against France, Norway and Iraq. In 2022, the last 32-team World Cup, Senegal reached the last 16, where they lost to England. In 2018, they were denied a spot in the knockout stages due to the fair play rule. Japan advanced because they had fewer yellow cards than Senegal. "These are things we unfortunately couldn’t control," said Senegal defender Lamine Gassama. "We did our best for the team. As a result, we sometimes made mistakes and received cards. "Unfortunately, that’s also part of the game. It’s cruel to miss out on the last 16 because of more yellow cards." Fans savour the memory of Senegal at World Cup in Qatar
