Senegal continues its journey in the 2026 World Cup. Despite a tough start to the tournament, the Lions of Teranga managed to secure their spot in the Round of 16 by finishing among the eight best third-placed teams in the group stage. After losses to France (3-1) and Norway (3-2), Pape Thiaw’s men bounced back by crushing Iraq (5-0), a crucial victory that allows them to move forward. They will now face Belgium on Wednesday in Seattle (20:00 GMT), aiming to pull off an upset and reach the knockout stage.
Two days before this clash, Romelu Lukaku faced the media with great respect for his future opponent. The Belgian striker was first asked about comments from his teammate Amadou Onana, who was born in Colobane, Dakar, and recently admitted he didn’t want to face Senegal in this World Cup. Lukaku understood the midfielder’s position while reminding everyone of the commitment of the Belgian internationals to their national team.
“I completely understand what he means. It will surely be complicated for him (Onana). But we are here to do our job. We made our respective choices to represent Belgium,” said the all-time top scorer for the Red Devils, with 91 goals for the national team.
When asked about the qualities of the Senegalese team, the Napoli striker did not hide his admiration. He believes the Lions have all the qualities needed to pose serious problems for Belgium. He thinks this match will be one of the toughest for his team and firmly rejects any notion of taking the African champions lightly.
“It’s going to be a complicated match. Senegal is a top nation with very good players and a great coach. We respect them a lot. I think this match will be one of the most difficult we will play because Senegal masters many essential aspects of football: they are technically very good and physically very strong, capable of making a difference. It will be a real challenge in terms of intensity. It will be 50/50,” Lukaku insisted.
The former Manchester United and Inter Milan striker also highlighted the numerous individual talents in the Senegalese squad. According to him, several players can turn a game around at any moment, whether through their technical quality, speed, or high-level experience.
“I really appreciate Iliman Ndiaye, who plays for Everton. Technically, in one-on-one duels, he’s truly one of the best players right now. Ismaïla Sarr is very good. Sadio is very good. Nicolas Jackson has a lot of qualities too,” he emphasized before extending his compliments to the rest of the squad.
🎙️Romelu Lukaku : « On va jouer face à une top nation. Ce match sera l’un des plus difficiles qu’on va jouer. Le Sénégal gère beaucoup d’aspects du foot. Technique, tactique, physique. Ce sera du 50-50. »#Dsports | pic.twitter.com/yxAVt53TO6
— Khadim Diakhaté (@Ahmadoubamba36) June 29, 2026
The Belgian scorer also spoke about the strength of the Senegalese midfield and defense, particularly praising Pape Gueye, Idrissa Gana Gueye, and captain Kalidou Koulibaly. “In midfield, there’s that left-footer from Villarreal — is it Sarr or Gueye? I can’t remember, but he (Pape Gueye) is good too.
And then there’s Idrissa Gueye. In defense, there’s Koulibaly who remains loyal to his team and national side. So yes, I really think it will be a tough match. We must not underestimate them. They are a really solid team. Let’s see what the match holds for us, but of course, we want to qualify. We will need to deliver a very good performance, and I think we can do it.” A strong tribute that confirms Belgium will approach this encounter with the utmost caution against a Lions team determined to continue their World Cup adventure.
