Four years after a devastating knee injury ruled him out of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Senegalese football star Sadio Mane has earned a spot in his nation’s preliminary 28-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The 34-year-old Al-Nassr forward, who boasts top-flight experience across Liverpool and Bayern Munich, is no stranger to last-minute World Cup heartbreak: he was originally named to Senegal’s 2022 squad before a pre-tournament knee injury forced him to withdraw entirely, leaving the West African nation without its talismanic attacking leader.
Beyond his World Cup story, Mane has recently been at the center of one of African football’s most controversial moments. In January 2025’s Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco, most of Mane’s Senegalese teammates walked off the pitch in protest after Morocco was awarded a stoppage-time penalty. It was Mane who remained on the field and convinced his protesting teammates to return to complete the match, which Senegal went on to win 1-0 via an extra-time goal from Pape Gueye. However, a subsequent appeal from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) overturned the result, awarding Morocco the tournament title in a decision that remains widely debated.
Mane will lead a star-studded attacking group that includes Bayern Munich’s Nicolas Jackson, Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye, and Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr. Head coach Pape Thiaw’s preliminary squad also features high-profile names across other positions: Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye, Sunderland rising star Habib Diarra, and Tottenham Hotspur fan favorite Pape Matar Sarr all earned call-ups, alongside key defensive leaders Kalidou Koulibaly of Al-Hilal and Chelsea’s Mamadou Sarr.
Under FIFA regulations, Thiaw is required to cut his preliminary squad down to the mandatory 26-player maximum by the final registration deadline of June 2, 2025.
Senegal will kick off their 2026 World Cup campaign in New Jersey on June 16, with a tough opening group stage clash against defending champions France. They will then face Norway on June 22 before wrapping up group play against Iraq on June 26. This edition of the World Cup marks a historic milestone as the first expanded 48-team tournament, running across the three North American host nations from June 11 to July 19, 2026.