Senegal World Cup 2026: Sarr to be the main man for the Lions of Teranga

It's already been a rollercoaster year for Senegal in 2026. They thought they'd won their second Africa Cup of Nations title, only to have it stripped away from them by the Confederation of African Football. This was in response to the Senegal players leaving the field of play in the final against Morocco in protest of refereeing decisions.

The Lions of Teranga will look to avoid such drama at the FIFA World Cup this summer, but they will be fired up after the events earlier in the year. Check out my Senegal World Cup 2026 predictions below, as I assess their squad and chances of venturing far in the tournament.

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Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy (Al-Ahli), Yehvann Diouf (Nice), Mory Diaw (Le Havre)

Defenders: Krepin Diatta (Monaco), Antoine Mendy (Nice), Abdoulaye Seck (Maccabi Haifa), Kalidou Koulibaly (Al-Hilal), Moussa Niakhate (Lyon), Mamadou Sarr (Chelsea), El-Hadji Malick Diouf (West Ham United), Ismail Jakobs (Galatasaray)

Midfielders: Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Habib Diarra (Sunderland), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham), Pape Gueye (Villarreal), Lamine Camara (Monaco), Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Bara Ndiaye (Bayern Munich)

Forwards: Sadio Mane (Al-Nassr), Bamba Dieng (Lorient), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton), Nicolas Jackson (Bayern Munich), Assane Diao (Como), Ibrahim Mbaye (PSG), Cherif Ndiaye (Samsunspor), Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace)

Senegal are competing at the World Cup finals for the third consecutive tournament. They made it to the round of 16 in Qatar four years ago, and they will be hoping to at least repeat that feat in North America.

Despite the controversy of their AFCON campaign, Pape Thiaw's side performed well in Morocco and they should be feeling optimistic about their chances of competing against the nations from the other parts of the world.

Their squad is nicely-balanced and they have a lot of attacking options to choose from, which gives them different dynamics in the final third. Veteran Sadio Mane gets what is likely to be his last dance on this stage.

He missed the last edition because of a leg injury he suffered just before the tournament began, so he'll be eager to make the most of this adventure in North America.

World Cup Odds

He's joined by fellow exciting wingers Ismaila Sarr and Iliman Ndiaye, with the former coming off the back of an impressive season with Crystal Palace. Nicolas Jackson has had to play second fiddle to Harry Kane at Bayern Munich in 2025/26, but he's set to be Senegal's main man up front at the World Cup.

Paris Saint-Germain youngster Ibrahim Mbaye is also hoping to make an impact for the Lions of Teranga but he's most likely going to be used as an impact substitute, which could be a big asset against tired legs.

Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, defender Kalidou Koulibaly and midfielder Idrissa Gueye are some of the other older heads in the squad, and they will provide support to the younger players in the group, while using their years of experience to aid Senegal out on the pitch.

Group I Fixtures:

16 June 3pm local (8pm BST) - vs France (New York)

22 June 8pm local (23 June 1am BST) - vs Norway (New York)

26 June 3pm local (8pm BST) - vs Iraq (Toronto)

Player to watch: Ismaila Sarr

Having just helped Crystal Palace win their first major European trophy, Sarr looks primed to play a starring role for Senegal at the World Cup. The winger netted 21 goals in all competitions for the Eagles this term, so his country will be hoping he can translate that form onto the international stage this summer.

In case you aren't aware, Sarr is very quick. I predict that there will be plenty of defenders he can leave in the dust in North America once he starts to accelerate. His skillset is well-suited to tournament football and it's up to Thiaw to get the very best out of his attacker.

Football Odds

Prediction: Round of 16

I'm backing Senegal to reach the round of 16 for the second successive tournament. Now, before you call me boring, remember that this would be given higher standing this year because of the expanded tournament.

This means that I'm backing them to get through the first round of the knockout stage because I do think there are plenty of teams they can cause problems for. Group I is tricky on paper, but I'm confident that we will see three teams progress to the knockouts from here.

I think France will come out on top, but I think both Senegal and Norway are capable of finishing second.