Senegal coach Pape Thiaw has unveiled a 28-man squad for the 2026 World Cup, headlined by star forward Sadio Mane. The 34-year-old, who missed the tournament four years ago due to injury, remains Senegal's all-time leading scorer with 53 goals in 126 appearances.
The squad will be trimmed to 26 players before the end-of-month deadline. Senegal are widely regarded as the strongest of the 10 African teams that qualified, blending experience with youthful talent.
Up front, alongside Mane (Al Nassr), the team includes Nicolas Jackson (Bayern Munich), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton) and Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace). In midfield, Idrissa Gueye (Everton) returns despite a late-season injury, joined by Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur), Habib Diarra (Sunderland) and rising star Bara Ndiaye (Bayern Munich). The defense remains anchored by veteran centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, while goalkeeper Edouard Mendy also made the cut.
Senegal recently impressed at the Africa Cup of Nations, beating hosts Morocco 1-0 in a controversial final that is now under appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
At the 2026 World Cup, Senegal are in Group I. They open against France on June 16 in New Jersey — a rematch of their famous 2002 upset over the defending champions. They then face Norway (June 22, same venue) and Iraq (June 26 in Toronto).
Senegal's best World Cup result came in 2002 when they reached the quarterfinals (losing to Turkey). With their current golden generation, Mane and his teammates may have one last chance to improve on that. They were eliminated in the group stage in 2018 (on tiebreakers) and in the round of 16 in 2022.
Senegal squad for World Cup 2026:
- Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy, Yehvann Diouf, Mory Diaw
- Defenders: Krepin Diatta, Antoine Mendy, Abdoulaye Seck, Kalidou Koulibaly, Ilay Camara, Moussa Niakhate, Mamadou Sarr, El-Hadji Malick Diouf, Moustapha Mbow, Ismail Jakobs
- Midfielders: Idrissa Gueye, Habib Diarra, Pape Matar Sarr, Pape Gueye, Lamine Camara, Pathe Ciss, Bara Ndiaye
- Forwards: Sadio Mane, Bamba Dieng, Iliman Ndiaye, Nicolas Jackson, Assane Diao, Ibrahim Mbaye, Cherif Ndiaye, Ismaila Sarr
