Pape Thiaw responded firmly to Rudi Garcia after Senegal’s heartbreaking elimination from the round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Lions of Teranga led Belgium 2-0 for much of the match before conceding twice late in normal time and eventually losing 3-2 after extra time. Following the final whistle, Garcia criticized Senegal’s tactical approach and blamed the team’s defensive mindset for the collapse.
The Belgium coach argued that Senegal abandoned its attacking structure after taking a two-goal lead and focused too much on protecting the advantage. Garcia claimed that conceding the first goal completely changed the match and suggested that his own team would never adopt such an approach when leading 2-0.
“We know these teams; they lose their tactical structure towards the end of the match. We also knew that around 2-0, they would do everything to protect their goal, which in my opinion is a serious mistake. Remind me when we’re leading 2-0 not to do that, because when you concede a goal like they did at 2-1, the game changes completely.” he said.
Pape Thiaw rejected those comments during his post-match press conference. The Senegal coach insisted that his team remained well organized and reminded Garcia that victory often makes criticism easier.
“That’s his opinion, but it’s not mine at all. Once you win, it’s easier to talk. You have to accept it, watch the match, see what didn’t work. This competition is definitely over. We have to move on, study it carefully, see what didn’t work so we can try to change it for next time.”
Thiaw acknowledged that Senegal must analyze what went wrong, learn from the defeat, and return stronger in future competitions, as the Lions’ journey in the 2026 FIFA World Cup has now come to an end.
