Pape Gueye has announced that he is taking a break from international football, expressing his frustration after the dramatic Senegal FIFA World Cup match against Belgium. The midfielder’s decision raised questions about possible tensions within the Senegalese camp after one of the most heartbreaking defeats of the tournament.Senegal looked set to qualify for the round of 16 after building a two-goal lead against Belgium by the 51st minute in Seattle. However, the game took a dramatic turn in the closing stages when Romelu Lukaku scored in the 86th minute before Youri Tielemans equalized three minutes later to force extra time. The decisive moment came after a VAR review awarded Belgium a penalty for a foul on Lamine Camara, and Tielemans converted from the spot in the 124th minute and 44th second — the latest winning goal ever scored in FIFA World Cup history.After the heartbreaking defeat, Gueye announced on Instagram his decision to retire from the national team, while the current coaching staff remains in charge. He wrote: “I’ll come back later to talk about the elimination. But right now I’m announcing that, as long as this technical staff is in charge, I’ll be taking a break from the national team.”Gueye, who was replaced after an hour by coach Pape Thiaw, was one of Senegal’s best players at the tournament. The Villarreal midfielder scored three goals and assisted during the campaign, including a man-of-the-match performance against Iraq.Despite their painful elimination, Senegal still created history by becoming the first African nation to score 10 goals in a single edition of the FIFA World Cup, highlighting the team’s impressive attacking performances throughout the tournament.
