Senegal announced its 28-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on May 21, with coach Pape Thiaw selecting a team led by forward Sadio Mane [1, 2, 3, 4]. Mane, 34, plays for Al-Nassr and is Senegal's all-time top scorer with 53 goals in 126 appearances. He missed the 2022 World Cup due to a knee injury but is eager to make up for lost time at the tournament held from June 11 to July 19 across the US, Canada, and Mexico [1, 2, 3, 4]. "The influential forward looks to make up for lost time having missed the finals four years ago in Qatar through injury," noted reports on Mane's return [1].
The squad features several notable forwards including Bayern Munich's Nicolas Jackson, Everton's Iliman Ndiaye, and Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr [1, 2, 3, 4]. Midfield options include Idrissa Gueye from Everton, Sunderland's Habib Diarra, Tottenham's Pape Matar Sarr, and Bayern Munich's Bara Ndiaye [1, 2, 3, 4]. Senegal's defense is bolstered by experienced centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy [1, 2, 3, 4]. Malang Sarr, a standout defender at Lens, was left out of the squad [1, 3, 4].
Senegal must reduce the squad by two players to meet FIFA's 26-player limit before the June 2 deadline [1, 2, 3, 4]. The team will open its World Cup campaign on June 16 against France in New Jersey, followed by matches against Norway on June 22 also in New Jersey, and Iraq on June 26 in Toronto [1, 2, 3, 4].
At the recent Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, Senegal finished as the best team but lost the title controversially after walking off the pitch. The case is currently before the Court of Arbitration for Sport [1, 3, 4]. Senegal's best World Cup run was reaching the quarter-finals in 2002. They exited at the group stage in 2018 and in the round of 16 in 2022 [1, 3, 4].
