Pape Demba Diop eyes World Cup success with Senegal

After his superb run of good displays with French outfit Toulouse, Senegal midfielder Pape Demba Diop has discussed playing for the West Africans at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, and will be jointly hosted by sixteen cities—eleven in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada. The tournament will be the first to be hosted by three nations.

This tournament will be the first to include 48 teams, an expansion from 32. The United 2026 bid beat a rival bid by Morocco during a final vote at the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow.

Recalled by Strasbourg from his loan at Nuremberg and then immediately loaned to Toulouse during the winter transfer window, the Senegalese midfielder has been shining for the past few weeks.

‘A childhood dream’

“Things are going well. Personally, I feel good. The integration happened naturally. The players welcomed me very well, as did the staff. The group has a great atmosphere, and that makes adapting much easier,” Diop told Le Quotidien.

“My personal goal this season? To improve. I had some injuries at the start of the season, so the goal is to be consistent and perform well.

“After that, if I do things right at club level, why not think about the Africa Cup of Nations or the World Cup? “The World Cup? A childhood dream. Especially with Senegal. It’s always a motivation.

“But first and foremost, I have to succeed at club level. I have to work harder. The rest might come. I can’t select myself. There are a lot of good players out there. You can’t select everyone.”

‘The machine was up and running’

On his rapid rise with Toulouse, he said: “It’s true, many people have mentioned it to me. I think the players contributed enormously to this adaptation. The coach and the staff too.

“From the moment I arrived, I was welcomed like family. I trained for three days during my first week, then the coach spoke to me before the match and showed his trust in me. With that trust, everything becomes simpler. After that, the machine was up and running.”

He added: Ligue 1 is a very competitive league. There’s a lot of talent, a lot of tactical awareness, and it’s very physical. Some people think it’s easy, but it’s not at all. There are a lot of duels.

“In Germany, there was more open play. In Ligue 1, there’s a lot of attacking football, but also a lot of physical contact. With my qualities, I think I can continue to develop here.”

Diop was called up to the Senegalese U-20 side for the 2023 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations. He scored in Senegal’s 3-0 win over Mozambique, which sent Senegal through to the knockout stage.

He has so far managed one appearance for the senior team.