World Cup 2026: Senegal’s hopes still alive despite Norway defeat, says Pape Thiaw

Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw insists his side’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign is far from over despite suffering a painful 3-2 defeat to Norway in their second Group I fixture.

The Teranga Lions were condemned to a second successive defeat at the tournament after Norway edged a thrilling contest, leaving the West Africans rooted to the bottom of the group without a point from their opening two matches.

The result followed Senegal’s 3-1 defeat to France in their tournament opener and has left their qualification hopes hanging by a thread.

Despite the setback, Thiaw remained optimistic about his team’s chances of progressing, stressing that the players are aware that qualification could still be decided on the final matchday.

“The players know it’s not over yet. Everything can come down to the final matchday,” Thiaw said after the match.

“It’s a defeat, we must accept it and move forward. We know there is one match left, we must give it our absolute all and hope.”

Senegal showed tremendous fighting spirit against Norway, recovering from a two-goal deficit and pushing their opponents until the final whistle. However, Erling Haaland’s brace ultimately proved decisive as Norway secured a 3-2 victory and booked their place in the Round of 32.

With France and Norway already occupying the top spots in Group I, Senegal’s hopes of advancing now rest on securing a victory in their final group match against Iraq while hoping other results elsewhere work in their favour.

Under the expanded 48-team World Cup format, some third-placed teams can still qualify for the knockout phase, giving the Teranga Lions a slim lifeline.

Senegal will conclude their group-stage campaign against Iraq on June 26, knowing that anything less than a win will almost certainly end their World Cup journey.