World Cup 2026, Kalidou Koulibaly's last dance?

Kalidou Koulibaly has cast doubt over the future of his international career. The 34-year-old defender hinted that he plans to call time on his national team journey after the 2026 World Cup.

When asked about the 2026 World Cup during an interview on the YouTube channel Le Média Carré, the Senegal international (102 caps, 2 goals) responded: "I think this will be my last World Cup. I'm not going to play a World Cup at 39. There are young players knocking on the door, and they deserve to be part of this national team. We'll see what happens after the World Cup."

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"First, we're going to approach this World Cup calmly, support the younger players, be there for them as long as possible, and when we see the time is right, we'll pass the torch. I haven't made a final decision. I have an idea in the back of my mind, but we'll see. I don't like talking about the future, but we know the end is near," he added.

The Al-Hilal defender is set to play in his third World Cup after appearances in 2018 (group stage) and 2022 (round of 16). His nation will take on France, Iraq, and Norway in the group stage.

It's worth recalling that the former Chelsea center-back played his first match for the Lions of Teranga on September 5, 2015, against Namibia (2-0 win), during the AFCON 2015 qualifiers.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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