Senegal’s World Cup squad stranded in Seattle as federation fails to book flights home

It’s one thing to lose a World Cup match after blowing a two-goal lead. It’s another to then find out nobody booked your flight home.

The Senegal national football team, affectionately known as the Lions of Teranga, has been stuck in Seattle since their round-of-32 elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. As of July 5, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) had not secured return flights for its players and staff to Dakar, leaving the entire delegation in logistical limbo thousands of miles from home.

A collapse on the pitch, then off it

The on-field drama was brutal enough. Senegal held a 2-0 lead over Belgium with just five minutes left in regular time during their knockout match on July 1-2. Then the wheels came off. Belgium clawed back to force extra time and eventually won 3-2, aided by a controversial penalty awarded through VAR.

Coach Pape Thiaw called football a “cruel game” in the aftermath. With the squad eliminated, the FSF was supposed to handle the unglamorous but essential task of getting everyone home. That didn’t happen. No flights were booked. No alternative arrangements were immediately in place. The federation is now reportedly working with FIFA to coordinate travel back to Senegal.

Dysfunction runs deeper than one missed booking

In March 2026, Senegal was stripped of their Africa Cup of Nations title following protests against a penalty decision during the tournament. That controversy destabilized the federation’s leadership and eroded trust between players and administrators.

The internal fractures are already widening. Midfielder Pape Gueye publicly announced after the Belgium loss that he would no longer play under coach Thiaw.

FIFA stepping in to help with travel arrangements is notable. National federations are generally expected to handle their own logistics. The fact that the global governing body appears to be intervening suggests the FSF’s operational capacity is genuinely compromised, not just slightly behind schedule.

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