Senegal exit, then the pile-on begins

What happened on the pitch

Belgium reportedly beat Senegal 3-2 to send one of Africa's more fancied sides home — the result comes via Foot Mercato and has not yet been corroborated by a second source; Flagside will update once confirmed. Senegal had arrived at this World Cup with genuine expectations — a squad built around quality, experience, and the kind of continental pedigree that made them a side other teams wanted to avoid. A two-goal defeat is one thing. Losing 3-2 — meaning they scored, they fought, they just couldn't hold it — tends to sting differently.

The result ends Senegal's involvement at a tournament co-hosted partly on their own continent's doorstep, which only sharpens the disappointment.

The social media angle

Mohamed Chibi, a Moroccan international, then posted what Foot Mercato describes as a dig at Senegal following the elimination. Flagside hasn't independently verified the exact wording of Chibi's post — this is a single-source report from Foot Mercato, so the precise tone remains unclear. Whether it was a mild joke or something more pointed, we can't say for certain without the original post.

What is clear: it landed. On X, fans from across Africa picked it up, and the reaction split predictably along national lines.

Why this cuts deeper than a standard social media moment

Morocco and Senegal aren't just neighbours on a map — they're two of the continent's most prominent footballing nations, and both have spent the last few years making the case that African football deserves more respect on the global stage. Morocco's run to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals reset expectations for what an African side could do. Senegal won AFCON in 2022. The rivalry is real, the pride is real, and a Moroccan international publicly enjoying a Senegalese exit is the kind of thing that doesn't get forgotten quickly.

Chibi, it's fair to say, did not read the room — or read it perfectly, depending on which side of the rivalry you're on.