The 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 has already started with some entertaining encounters and will continue proposing some exciting matches in the day to come.
In this preview, we present one of the very promising Round of 32 games that will see Belgium face Senegal.
It is definitely going to be a very competitive match for both teams, knowing that Belgium have suffered against Egypt and were not able to win, while Senegal succeeded in qualifying to the knockout phase despite their complicated group.
Senegal lost to France but were able to disturb Norway and beat Iraq, which confirms that Senegal will be playing against Belgium with a strong belief in their ability to pass to the next round.
The preview is going to focus mainly on both teams’ wonderkids who can become the leaders of these two national teams in the near future.
For Belgium, the post “golden generation” is going through a rebuild period during which a mix of experienced players and wonderkids is being developed to ensure the sustainability of the national team project.
While for Senegal, the young talents that combine physical strength and tactical intelligence are becoming numerous and compete in the best European leagues.
The national team obviously tries to benefit from these talents in the best possible way and that’s why we see a lot of them getting some considerable playing time on big occasions and not just in friendlies.
Belgium's Rising Stars Ready For The World Cup Spotlight
Matias Fernandez-Pardo - Belgium's Attacking Wonderkid
Matias Fernandez-Pardo is one of Belgium's actual most promising attacking options. As a modern forward, he prefers to play vertically, exploit his pace through penetrations, and be crucial during transitions and counter-attacks.
Developed between Belgium and France at clubs like KAA Gent, Anderlecht, and LOSC in France, he gained the needed experience at the youth levels and has already started playing with the senior teams especially at Lille.
His convincing performances at a senior level allowed him to earn a participation in the World Cup with Belgium, as he represents a valuable addition in attack, knowing that he has already been used as a sub against all of Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand.
His dynamism and intelligent decision-making inside the penalty box is something that Belgium can benefit from against a compact Senegal defence, especially if he gets subbed in when Senegal’s defenders get relatively tired.
So, if the game opens up and Senegal’s defence gets exposed, that would be the perfect timing for a player like Pardo to use the spaces left at the back of Senegal’s defence during attacking transitions.
After being trained in environments of structured academies in France, he has got the hang of football at senior level very quick with a great attitude of going after space to attack rather than expect to be served.
Joaquin Seys - Belgium's Modern Left-Back
Although Joaquin Seys has not been the starting choice for Rudi Garcia in this World Cup so far, he is considered one of Belgium’s best talents in defence and specifically for the left-back position.
Seys has already been very competitive with Club Brugge’s senior team, playing in the Belgian league and in the UEFA Champions League as well.
Against some of the team teams in Europe like Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Olympique Marseille, Atalanta, and more, Seys showed some great defensive abilities combined with a promising playmaking profile.
These experiences helped Seys develop quicker than expected and deserve a participation in the World Cup.
In case he participates against Senegal, this will represent another serious test of his defensive skills and physical abilities in a crucial match that will determine the fate of Belgium in the tournament.
Diego Moreira - The New Left-Wing Talent
Diego Moreira is another completely useful young talent who is expected to help Belgium remain dangerous in attack in the coming years.
Being a left-footed winger who can play on both wings and in midfield too, Moreira brings a lot of dynamism and impressive one-vs-one dribbling abilities that makes him stand out as one of Belgium’s unique players.
Continuing to develop physically and tactically will eventually make Moreira a much more dangerous winger in a way that resembles to the profile of Lamine Yamal in terms of characteristics, knowing that Moreira has got some similar traits.
His low centre of gravity and quick changes of direction/accelerations help him a lot in breaking defences and winning a large part of the offensive duels, something that can be very useful against a compact defensive block like that of Senegal.
Furthermore, working on improving his finishing quality and timing will be very beneficial for all of Moreira, his club Strasbourg, and Belgium.
Senegal's Next Generation Ready To Make Their Mark
Ibrahim Mbaye - PSG's Top Winger
Pairs Saint-Germain's Ibrahim Mbaye represents one of Senegal’s promising wingers in terms of raw talent and refined technical/tactical mastery.
Mbaye developed through European academies and in particular French ones, until he reached the U23 PSG team and then deserved his promotion to the senior team.
His profile is characterised by his quick accelerations, decisive finishing, dribbling skills, and ability to resist defensive disturbance thanks to his powerful physical abilities.
He has already confirmed himself as a trust-worthy winger competing at the highest level and facing most of the top teams in Europe without letting that impact the quality of his performances.
That’s why, his addition to Senegal cannot be overlooked even though he is not considered as a starter due to the presence of a more talented/experienced wingers like Sadio Mane and Ismaila Sarr.
This means that Mbaye will more likely be used as a substitute against Belgium, a role that should not be undermined since his agility and determination might help Senegal turn the table on Belgium especially when Belgium’s defenders get tired.
Bara Sapoko Ndiaye - Senegal's Emerging Midfield Talent
A less stellar Senegal player who deserves to be looked at is Gambinos Stars’ Bara Sapoko Ndiaye.
Ndiaye has been developing with Gambinos Stars in the past few seasons but had the opportunity to play for the German side, Bayern Munich this past season.
Although the loan deal shed more light on the midfielder, he failed to remain consistent in terms of performances due to recurrent injuries that conditioned his season.
Despite that, he earned a participation in the World Cup but is yet to participate in games.
As a midfielder who is both useful in the defensive and the attacking phase, Ndiaye’s contribution can be valuable if he is having his best form.
In case of injuries or problems to one of the midfielders, Ndiaye might get some playing time against Belgium and further showcase his skills in midfield, even though his chances of participation are not that high.
Assane Diao - Senegal Next Sadio Mane
Assane Diao can be considered as Senegal’s most promising wonderkid at the moment especially if we are talking about attacking prospects.
As a winger for Como in Serie A, Diao has been developing progressively throughout the past few seasons and is actually considered as one of Cesc Fabregas’s reliable attacking weapons.
He has been formed in Spain before getting to play within the Real Betis senior team.
His performances in La Liga attracted the interest of Fàbregas in his profile, who later contributed in bringing him to Como and to developing his traits.
Actually, Diao is a quick and powerful wing player, who is extremely dangerous with and without the ball.
His experience in Serie A helped him deal better with complex situations and make the right decisions inside the final third especially in tight spaces.
Plus, being clinical on goal and dangerous in dribbling makes him one of the promising wingers for Senegal, even though he is yet to participate extensively in the World Cup.
