Gueye threatens Senegal boycott after Belgium's stunning 3-2 extra-time comeback

Pape Gueye has declared he will refuse to represent Senegal for as long as the current technical staff remains in charge, after Belgium overturned a two-goal deficit to eliminate the African side 3-2 in extra-time at the World Cup.

The Villarreal midfielder, 27, posted the announcement to his Instagram story in the immediate aftermath of the round of 32 defeat, writing: “I’ll be back to give you a few words regarding elimination… but I announce today that as long as it’s this technical staff I’ll take a break from the selection.”

Senegal had looked firmly in control of the tie, with Habiib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr giving them a comfortable lead and a seemingly clear path to a Round of 16 meeting with the United States. The collapse, when it came, was swift and brutal. Romelu Lukaku pulled one back from a tight angle in the closing stages, and before Senegal could regroup, Leandro Trossard’s cross was nodded home by Youri Tielemans to level the match.

The Aston Villa midfielder then completed the turnaround deep into the second period of extra-time, converting a VAR-awarded penalty in the 125th minute to send Rudi Garcia’s Belgium through.

Gueye had been substituted shortly after the hour mark — while Senegal still led by two — with head coach Pape Thiaw introducing Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara in his place. That decision, and the broader management of the game, now appears to be at the heart of Gueye’s public grievance.

Thiaw defended his substitutions after the final whistle, suggesting several were made at the players’ own request. “They were tired and couldn’t continue,” he said. “Leaving them on the field would have been unprofessional on our part.” Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye, Sunderland’s Habib Diarra, Sadio Mane, and Idrissa Gana Gueye were all replaced during the second half and extra-time.

Thiaw acknowledged the scale of the disappointment without deflecting blame. “We just lost a match that was really important to us. We wanted to qualify for the Senegalese people, we thought we deserved it, but unfortunately, we are eliminated. I am sad, the players are sad too, because they really wanted this qualification.”

Gueye, who had scored twice in Senegal’s 5-0 group-stage win over Iraq, stopped short of calling for Thiaw’s dismissal but made clear he will not return to the fold under the existing setup. Whether the Senegalese federation acts on the pressure — or whether Gueye’s stance hardens into a longer-term absence — remains to be seen.