Sébastien Haller is said to have taken his omission from the 2026 World Cup squad as a “betrayal”

The hero of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations is said to have been deeply affected when Emerse Fae unveiled the Elephants’ squad list for the tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, which did not include his name.

Sébastien Haller’s absence from Emerse Fae’s squad for the 2026 World Cup had been met with bewilderment amongst Ivorians. But a few weeks after Ivory Coast's elimination from the tournament, revelations have emerged about how the Ivorian striker coped with not being called up.

According to people close to Sébastien Haller contacted by Sport News Africa, this omission had deeply affected the player. His uncle stated that he had decided to end his career in the wake of the announcement of the final squad.

“He decided to give up football after the final list of the 26 players selected to compete in the 2026 World Cup was announced. He saw his omission as a betrayal. He says he had agreed on a number of things with the coach but that none of them were honoured.”