Le Sénégal arrive à la FIFA World Cup 2026 avec l'une des histoires les plus extraordinaires du football international — un titre remporté, puis retiré, puis contesté devant la plus haute juridiction sportive.
L'équipe de Pape Thiaw a triomphé en finale de la Coupe d'Afrique des Nations en janvier, en battant Morocco dans des circonstances pour le moins singulières. L'arbitre Jean-Jacques Ndala a accordé un penalty en prolongation des arrêts de jeu après une vérification VAR pour un défi de Malick Diouf sur Brahim Diaz, ce qui a poussé Thiaw à ordonner à ses joueurs de quitter la pelouse en signe de protestation. Seize minutes de tension s'en sont suivies avant que Sadio Mané ne ramène le groupe sur le terrain. Édouard Mendy a ensuite repoussé le penalty de Diaz, et Pape Gueye a offert la victoire en prolongation.
Deux mois plus tard, la commission d'appel de la CAF a retiré le titre de la CAN au Sénégal — bien que l'affaire doive encore être examinée par le Tribunal Arbitral du Sport (TAS). Cette décision n'a pas empêché le groupe de parader avec le trophée avant un match amical contre le Peru, et, aux yeux des habitants du pays, le titre leur appartient toujours.
La CAN comme répétition générale
Pour l'ancien attaquant El Hadji Diouf, ce parcours mouvementé vers le titre était précisément l'épreuve dont le Sénégal avait besoin avant cet été. S'exprimant en exclusivité pour Sky Sports lors de l'événement de lancement des maillots 'Rolling Nations' de PUMA à New York, Diouf a été catégorique quant aux ambitions de son pays.
"AFCON was the warm-up for the World Cup. We know we're so good," he said. "People know Senegal is not just a good team — it's an institution of football now."
Diouf pointed to the collective spirit binding the squad, citing Sadio Mané, Édouard Mendy, and Kalidou Koulibaly as symbols of a generation that carries the entire continent's aspirations. "They play not for Senegal only, but for the whole continent week after week," he said.
The objective for this summer is unambiguous. "At this World Cup, we want to reach the semi-final," Diouf declared. "We have big players, we have a good group and we won the Africa Cup of Nations."
France again — and echoes of 2002
Senegal open their Group I campaign against France on June 17, a fixture that carries enormous historical weight. In 2002, on their World Cup debut, Senegal stunned the then-holders France 1-0 in the group stage — a moment Diouf, who played in that match, remembers vividly.
"We beat the best team in the world — with Zinedine Zidane, Bixente Lizarazu, Fabian Barthez," he recalled. "Winning against big teams is not always about having talent. It's about everything coming from your heart."
Diouf drew a direct line from that 2002 upset to recent results: Senegal beat England 3-1 at Wembley in a friendly last June, then followed it with a 2-0 victory away to Brazil — results that he believes confirm Thiaw's side can defeat anyone.
"If you beat Brazil, if you beat England in England, you can beat any team," Diouf said. "It's all about belief."
Group I also includes Norway, whom Diouf respects but does not fear. Senegal will also face Iraq during the group stage. Diouf's expectation is that the same disciplined, possession-based approach that carried them through AFCON will serve them in North America.
Building from within
Diouf also reflected on the structural shift behind Senegal's rise. He highlighted the country's investment in youth academies, noting that most of the current squad came through domestic development programmes and have played together for over 15 years.
"We used to work behind the scenes on the academies," he said. "Today, you see the Senegalese national team — most of the boys are coming from Senegal, from the academies in Senegal."
He closed with a challenge to the squad — and to the continent. "Why not be the first African team to play the final of the World Cup? If they put that on their mind, they can do it."
