West Ham defender El Hadji Malick Diouf is looking forward to representing Senegal at the 2026 World Cup.
Diouf joined the Hammers from Slavia Prague for £19 million last summer and had a decent season in the Premier League.
However, the left-back could not prevent West Ham from being relegated to the Championship on the final day.
Diouf’s attention now turns to the World Cup, and Senegal have a realistic chance of reaching the latter stages.
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What El Hadji Malick Diouf expects from Senegal at World Cup 2026
Diouf is expected to be Senegal’s starting left-back at the World Cup, with several high-profile players in the side.
Premier League fans will also recognise Sadio Mane, Nicolas Jackson, Ismaila Sarr, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Edouard Mendy.
Senegal have a squad capable of equalling their best-ever World Cup performance (quarter-finals in 2002).
However, they have been handed the ‘Group of Death’ alongside 2018 champions France and Erling Haaland’s Norway.
But despite their difficult fixtures, Diouf remains confident of reaching the knockout rounds, where anything can happen.
“I think first it was a dream to play the World Cup,” he told whufc.com. “As Senegalese players, we don’t have the pressure, but we do a little bit because we have to do better than before.
“We have to go again because we have a really good team, a really good squad. So we don’t have to think about the other teams.
“We just have to go play our game, try to get the wins, and try to qualify for the second round. So I think it’s our objective. It’s our goal.”
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Senegal’s first match is against France at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday, where Diouf will be tasked with stopping Michael Olise.
If he comes through that challenge unscathed, he is unlikely to face a tougher task for the remainder of the tournament.
Diouf has revealed that he cannot wait to test himself against the world’s best players, such as Olise and Kylian Mbappe.
“It’s exciting because everyone is going to watch the games,” he added. “It’s a big opportunity, you know?
“I’m just looking forward to it, excited to play, because as a player, I need to play in big, big, big games.
“In the World Cup, every game will be a really big game, so everyone is going to watch that, so I’m just excited.”
Diouf may also have a departure from West Ham on his mind, as some top performances at the World Cup would put him in the shop window.
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