Parties, Alcohol and Ticket Reselling: Senegal's 2026 World Cup Turns to Scandal

Senegal exited the 2026 World Cup in the round of 16, defeated by Belgium 3-2 after extra time, and returns home burdened by two issues: a catastrophic sporting record and serious accusations against the leadership of the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF).

Three defeats in four matches, elimination in the first knockout round: the verdict is harsh for a team crowned African champions this winter in Morocco — a title awarded to the Lions of the Atlas pending the conclusions of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Head coach Pape Thiaw, who had never officially renewed his contract with the FSF, appears to be on his way out. Two names are circulating as potential successors: Hervé Renard and Habib Beye, recently dismissed by Marseille.

But the most serious revelations emerged off the pitch. According to investigations by Sport News Africa and the duo Mansour Loum-Romain Molina, the first days of Senegal’s delegation in the United States reportedly resembled, according to the outlet, “a massive party before the bewildered eyes of the players”: vintage bottles of alcohol, gifts and evenings in the company of women. Hotel staff complained of the arrogance of several officials, while players left to their own devices allegedly ordered fast food and sneaked out of the establishment.

More troubling still, an illicit ticket reselling scheme appears to have been set up around the Lions of Teranga’s matches. Tickets purchased for 60 dollars were allegedly resold for around 350 dollars, with the destination of the funds — FSF coffers or the pockets of officials’ associates — remaining unclear. “A murky circuit,” described by Sport News Africa, which notes that this scheme is not new: a similar mechanism had already been reported during the 2022 World Cup, sometimes directly affecting tickets allocated to players’ families.

A Senegalese official, speaking on condition of anonymity, summed up the atmosphere: “The state spent a large sum on the World Cup, so some people are taking advantage.” The FSF has not yet publicly responded to these accusations.