Senegal advances with Egyptian help

Senegal qualified for the Round of 32 in the World Cup without playing, having benefited from the results of the final matches in Group B, where Belgium beat New Zealand 5-1 and Egypt drew 1-1 with Iran. This placed Senegal among the best third-placed teams. The team had an uneventful start in the group stage, losing to France and Norway, but still managed to qualify. They also won the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year in Morocco before their resolve was withdrawn.