World Cup 2026: Senegal midfielder Habib Diarra devastated after exit to Belgium

Senegal international Habib Diarra has expressed deep frustration following his outfit Round of 32 defeat to Belgium at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament.

Diarra registered his name on the scoresheet as the Teranga Lions succumbed to a late 3-2 comeback defeat to the European outfit on Thursday night.

The Teranga Lions looked firmly in control for most of the contest, leading 2–0 and appearing set to secure a place in the next round. However, a late surge from the Red Devils completely shifted the momentum, with Belgium scoring three goals after the 85th minute to end Senegal’s campaign.

Diarra, who opened the scoring and helped set the tone early in the match, admitted that the defeat was extremely difficult to process given how well the team started.

He explained that Senegal showed strong intensity in the first half but failed to sustain the same level of concentration and aggression throughout the full 90 minutes, something that ultimately proved decisive at this stage of the competition.

Despite the disappointment, the midfielder insisted that responsibility must be shared within the squad, stressing that the players themselves must critically assess their performance rather than shifting focus elsewhere.

“We had a good first half, but it wasn’t enough. Matches normally last 90 minutes. We’re very disappointed. We’re devastated. It’s very hard. The substitutions? I can’t comment on that. We have to give our all when we’re on the pitch. That’s not what we did. We’ve only ourselves to blame. The penalty? I’d rather not talk about the referee.”

The defeat will be remembered as one of Senegal’s most painful World Cup exits, particularly given the manner in which they surrendered a commanding position so late in the game.

For Pape Thiaw’s side, attention will now shift toward reviewing what went wrong in the closing stages, as they look to rebuild and avoid similar late collapses in future international tournaments.