Senegal

Senegal, known as the Lions of Teranga, are the reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions and one of the continent's most feared sides, with a squad built around world-class talent from Europe's top clubs. Their 2002 World Cup debut — in which they knocked out defending champions France and reached the quarter-finals — remains one of the tournament's great upsets.

Senegal constituted their national team in 1960 following independence and played their first recorded international at the end of 1961. For much of the next four decades they were a mid-tier African side, qualifying sporadically for the continent's showpiece tournament while their domestic league struggled for international visibility.

The 2002 FIFA World Cup transformed Senegal's global standing overnight. Under coach Bruno Metsu, a squad packed with European-based professionals beat holders France 1–0 in the opening game, then navigated their group and successive knockout ties to reach the quarter-finals — the best debut by any African nation at a World Cup. That same golden generation reached the 2002 AFCON final, only to lose on penalties to Cameroon, beginning a run of agonising near-misses at the continental tournament.

Two more final defeats followed, in 2019 and 2025, before Senegal finally claimed the AFCON title they long deserved at the 2021 edition (played in January 2022 in Cameroon), with Sadio Mané's decisive penalty in the shoot-out sealing a 4–2 win over Egypt. With Aliou Cissé succeeded by Pape Thiaw, and Kalidou Koulibaly leading a new generation, Senegal arrive at the 2026 World Cup as Africa's highest-ranked side.