Senegal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Lions of Teranga compete in Group H at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Manager Pape Thiaw, captain Kalidou Koulibaly. CAF qualifier.

#17
FIFA Rank
H
Group
CAF
Confederation
4
WC Appearances
Available on all plans (7-day free trial)

Senegal's outlook at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Sitting at FIFA #17, Senegal are firmly in the "dark horse" tier — capable of a deep knockout run if the draw and form align.

Senegal is the highest-ranked side in Group H (avg. opponent rank #25). They are expected to top the group, but England and Colombia are realistic challengers.

The 2026 tournament uses an expanded 48-team, 12-group format with a new Round of 32. That changes the maths for Senegal: the top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed teams advance, so even a third-place finish in Group H is often enough to reach the knockouts. The first Senegal match of the World Cup is scheduled for Monday, June 15 against Iraq at Arrowhead Stadium.

Group H draw analysis

FIFA Ranking, confederation, and last-appearance finish for every team Senegal face in Group H.

TeamFIFA RankConfederation
Senegal (this page)#17CAF
England#4UEFA
Colombia#13CONMEBOL
Iraq#58AFC

Players to watch

Sadio Mané
Kalidou Koulibaly
Nicolas Jackson

Get every player's stats - goals, assists, cards, minutes, xG - via the player stats endpoint for competition_id={COMPETITION_ID}.

Senegal World Cup history

Senegal have appeared at 4 previous FIFA World Cups. Their best finish remains Quarter-finals (2002). Across the last five tournaments they recorded: R16, DNQ, Group, DNQ, QF, including 2 occasions when they failed to qualify.

Best finish
Quarter-finals (2002)
Last 5 World Cups
R16, DNQ, Group, DNQ, QF
Total appearances
4 World Cups

Get Senegal data via API

JavaScript
// Fetch Senegal World Cup 2026 matches
const response = await fetch(
  'https://api.thestatsapi.com/api/football/matches?competition_id={COMPETITION_ID}&team=senegal',
  { headers: { 'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' } }
);
const { data } = await response.json();

Frequently Asked Questions

What group is Senegal in at the 2026 World Cup?

Senegal is in Group H alongside England, Colombia, Iraq. The average opponent FIFA ranking in Group H is #25.

Who is Senegal's manager at the 2026 World Cup?

Pape Thiaw manages Senegal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Kalidou Koulibaly as captain.

What is Senegal's best World Cup finish?

Senegal's best FIFA World Cup finish is Quarter-finals (2002). They have appeared in 4 previous World Cup tournaments. Recent form: R16, DNQ, Group, DNQ, QF.

Who are Senegal's key players at the 2026 World Cup?

Captain Kalidou Koulibaly leads a squad whose standout names include Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly, Nicolas Jackson. The full 26-player squad is named approximately one week before the opening match.

How did Senegal qualify for the 2026 World Cup?

CAF qualifier. They came through the CAF qualifying pathway.

What is Senegal's current FIFA Ranking?

Senegal are ranked #17 in the world by FIFA at the time of the 2026 World Cup draw. Sitting at FIFA #17, Senegal are firmly in the "dark horse" tier — capable of a deep knockout run if the draw and form align.

What are Senegal's chances of winning the 2026 World Cup?

Senegal is the highest-ranked side in Group H (avg. opponent rank #25). They are expected to top the group, but England and Colombia are realistic challengers. Sitting at FIFA #17, Senegal are firmly in the "dark horse" tier — capable of a deep knockout run if the draw and form align.

How can I get Senegal fixtures and stats via API?

Use TheStatsAPI matches endpoint with competition_id={COMPETITION_ID} and filter by team_id to get all Senegal World Cup 2026 fixtures, lineups, live scores, in-play events, xG, and player-level stats. The same endpoint also returns historical World Cup data for Senegal going back to their first tournament.

Build a Senegal app with live World Cup data

7-day free trial. All endpoints included on every plan.