Édouard Mendy has stepped away from Senegal duty at 34, closing an international career that carried him through finals, titles and 59 caps. The Al-Ahli goalkeeper, who is also nominated for the Yachine Trophy, said the time had come for Senegal’s next generation to take command.
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Mendy has announced his retirement from international football after eight years with the Lions of Teranga. He leaves having represented Senegal at two World Cups and three Africa Cup of Nations campaigns, although injury restricted his involvement in the 2019 edition.
He won the AFCON twice and believes the squad is ready to move forward without him. “Passing things on matters a great deal to me,” Mendy said, explaining that he had worked closely with younger players to prepare them for the major tournaments ahead.
The goalkeeper said his decision began to take shape after Senegal’s AFCON triumph in Morocco and was confirmed following the World Cup. Having played in every competition available to him, he felt he had completed his mission with the national side.
Patrick Vieira, recently appointed Senegal coach, contacted Mendy to outline his plans and the senior role he hoped the goalkeeper would retain within the group. Mendy was moved by the approach and asked for time to consider it, but ultimately decided not to begin a new cycle he might not see through.
“I wanted the new group to settle quickly and find its bearings,” he said. “I did not want uncertainty over my future to become a distraction.”
A career defined by Senegal’s first continental crown
For Mendy, the defining match came in Cameroon on 6 February 2022, when Senegal beat Egypt on penalties after a 0-0 draw to win the country’s first Africa Cup of Nations title.
It was his first continental final after a broken finger had ruled him out in 2019. He recalled feeling the weight of expectation from an entire country before Senegal prevailed 4-2 in the shoot-out.
“Winning that first star was an extraordinary feeling,” he said. “Nothing else can quite compare with it.”
Mendy insisted that incidents surrounding the most recent AFCON did not influence his retirement. His focus remains on Senegal having become African champions for a second time, while other matters are for the relevant authorities to handle.
He hopes supporters will remember him as a player who consistently put his country first, including during difficult periods with injuries. Making Senegalese people proud, he said, was the greatest reward of his international career.
Yachine nomination caps a full season
Although he has retired from Senegal duty, Mendy remains active with Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia and has been shortlisted for the Yachine Trophy, awarded to the season’s best goalkeeper.
He described the nomination as an even greater source of pride than his previous recognition while at Chelsea, believing it reflects a complete year for both club and country.
At Al-Ahli, Mendy has taken on increased responsibility as captain, while his Senegal role made him one of the squad’s senior voices. He called it the finest season of his professional career.
The nomination, he added, carries particular meaning at 34 and while playing in Saudi Arabia, where he feels the level of the league is too often underestimated.
Beyond football, Mendy continues to support the Yakar school in Keur Massar and ChangeKeepers, an association launched in 2025 to assist entrepreneurs in Senegal.
