World Cup 2026: Senegal are Africa's strongest team but will AFCON final turmoil linger?
Senegal have been viewed as a dark horse to win this summer's World Cup but how will the turmoil of this year's Africa Cup of Nations final affect them?
Few nations outside of Europe and South America have ever been seen as World Cup contenders. No one outside of those two continents have even been to a final.
But after Morocco became the first African country to reach a World Cup semi-final four years ago in Qatar, Senegal will look to match or better that record in North America this summer with a team that includes stars who have played for some of Europe's biggest clubs.
Drawn in Group I alongside France, Norway and Iraq - the Lions of Teranga will be confident of going far at this year's tournament. And yet they head into the World Cup shrouded in uncertainty after January's chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final against hosts Morocco made headlines around the world - for all the wrong reasons.
With the game goalless, hosts Morocco were awarded a contentious penalty in the eighth minute of second-half added time. The decision caused outrage, with Senegal's players walking off the pitch in protest.
When they returned 17 minutes later, Morocco's Brahim Diaz stepped up to try and win his country's first AFCON title since 1976. The former Manchester City winger attempted an audacious Panenka in front of an expectant crowd, and his bold decision backfired spectacularly as goalkeeper Edouard Mendy stood still and saved it. Then, four minutes into extra time, Pape Gueye lashed in what turned out to be the winner for Senegal.
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But the drama didn't end there, with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) overturning Senegal's victory and awarding Morocco a 3-0 win in the final two months later due to Senegal's players walking off the pitch. That decision by CAF was swiftly appealed by Senegal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Now, African football expert Babacar Diarra is trying to make sense of it all. The French freelance journalist is of Senegalese descent and says those in Senegal are clear over who they think the real African champions are.
"The most recent reaction is that fans and players are just sticking to what happened on the pitch," he said. "They want to keep the trophy.
"They want to consider themselves African champions, and they demonstrated that at the Stade de France in Paris [during the March international break] by showing the trophy to the fans and showing that they consider that whatever happens behind the scenes with the CAS decision, they own the trophy. Whatever happens, they will still consider themselves as the champions."
Senegal's players walking off the pitch in protest was instigated by manager Pape Thiaw. That call may ultimately cost his team the title - depending on the outcome of their appeal. However, Diarra explains how there are few ill feelings towards Senegal's manager for his actions that night.
"Apart from in Morocco, where people are criticising his decision to ask the players to leave the pitch, I think he's well respected in most parts of the continent," he says.
"Most people, when you see the comments on social media, are feeling like justice was served at this point, when the penalty wasn't scored by Brahim Diaz and then Senegal won the final on the pitch. I think Pape Thiaw wasn't a well-known head coach before the tournament, and now he's pretty much respected."
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Premier League stars make Senegal 'Africa's best hope'
Senegal head to the World Cup with plenty of players well-known to Premier League fans.
Former Liverpool star Sadio Mane, ex-Chelsea players Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly, as well as Everton's Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gana Gueye, are just some of the talent they have to call upon. That has led many to view them as Africa's best hope of success this summer.
"The Senegalese national team has been respected for the last decade," Diarra explains. "I would say that everything changed when they won AFCON for the first time five years ago, because before that, they were considered a great team to watch, but not able to win titles.
"When Sadio Mane delivered this win in Cameroon with a penalty shootout, everything switched, and now they are respected as maybe the most dominant national team on the continent, even if Morocco went to the semi-final of the last World Cup.
"Senegal, by the quality of its players, is really respected. At every competition in Africa, they are considered the favourites."
Partial travel ban issue for Senegal fans
While the Senegal players will be exempt from President Donald Trump's partial U.S. travel ban on those from the African nation - fans heading to this summer's tournament face several hurdles. Senegalese residents could be required to present a bond of up to $15,000 (around £11,000) to enter the United States - an issue which concerns Diarra.
"There is a Senegalese diaspora in the U.S, but obviously the main fan groups are coming from Senegal who are following the national team for every big tournament," he said.
"I had the chance to interview them in Morocco, and I asked them how they feel about this situation with the visa requests, and they were confident that the governments of the U.S. and Senegal would be able to find a solution. Honestly, I don't think it's going to happen that way.
"I don't expect the stadium to be empty of Senegalese fans because the diaspora will come, and some people from the diaspora are able to get a visa, but obviously, if the fan groups don't come, it will be different. It will feel different for the players because they are always chanting and dancing throughout all the games, so there is this atmosphere that you might miss if they don't come."
Senegal's status as an underdog on the international stage is now a thing of the past. Few were shocked, for example, when they beat England 3-1 in a friendly last June.
But their most famous World Cup win came 24 years ago against then-defending champions France. Both teams will meet again this summer in their opening fixture, with Senegal no longer viewed as minnows or the underdogs which went out to England in Qatar four years ago.
Diarra says: "I will quote Pape Gueye, who said that he 'wants to win the World Cup'. Four years ago, Senegal came to the World Cup as an underdog. You wouldn't hear from the players that we want to win the World Cup.
"I think now they are getting more and more confident because they're playing in the top clubs and they feel the respect from other countries. They lost to Brazil before AFCON, which, I think, was good for them in terms of staying humble, given their streak of good results.
"They didn't lose for 26 games in a row, so I think it was good for them to lose against Brazil in order to prepare for the World Cup and to feel that, despite their domination in Africa, they are not still there.
"But I think France are really worried about Senegal. Maybe there is the trauma of 2002. It will be obviously different this time because Senegal is a more respected team. There is a huge difference between the Senegal of the previous World Cup and the one which is about to play its fourth World Cup."
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