Pape Gueye and Senegal face Norway amid off-field unrest at 2026 World Cup | OneFootball

Pape Gueye and Senegal face a decisive 2026 World Cup meeting with Norway at 2.00 on Tuesday, 23 June, in New York/New Jersey, with off-field unrest threatening to overshadow a side expected to contend.

They opened with a 3-1 defeat to France, a result that stung despite the calibre of the opposition. According to Sport News Africa, the camp are unhappy with the New Jersey hotel and catering, and some players have been buying food outside the base.

Tensions with the Senegalese federation are long-running, touching finances, contracts and logistics. Head coach Pape Thiaw is said to be working without a valid contract and to have experienced delayed pay, while bonuses for their Africa Cup of Nations win and World Cup qualification are described as outstanding.

Group I is unforgiving and this game could shape both teams’ trajectories. Norway can move towards the last 16 with a positive result, while Senegal must win, or at least avoid defeat, to stay alive.

For Villarreal midfielder Gueye, it is both about collective survival and his own role in a gifted but distracted group.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo