- Senegal vs Iraq: Senegal revived their 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout hopes with a commanding 5-0 demolition of Iraq.
- The Lions of Teranga finished third in Group I with three points and must now wait for other results to determine whether they qualify.
- Pape Gueye came off the bench to score a brace, while Habib Diarra, Ismaila Sarr, and Iliman Ndiaye also found the back of the net at Toronto Stadium.
Senegal revived their hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout phase as they thrashed 10-man Iraq 5-0 to finish the group stage on a high with three points on Friday night in Toronto.
Coming into this game, the Lions of Teranga had suffered back-to-back Group I defeats to France and Norway, meaning they needed nothing less than a convincing victory to keep their hopes alive and stand a chance of qualifying as one of the best third-placed teams.
They now finish with three points, behind group leaders France and second-placed Norway.
Their fate will now depend on other results as they boast a +2 goal difference, currently sitting fifth among the best third-placed teams.
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The match kicked off with Senegal immediately putting Iraq on the back foot, and it did not take long for that early pressure to pay off.
From a set-piece corner, Lamine Camara whipped a superb delivery right into the heart of the box. The Iraqi defence completely lost track of Abdoulaye Seck, who rose highest and powered a downward header toward goal.
At the crucial moment, Habib Diarra managed to get the slightest touch on Seck’s header, redirecting it past the goalkeeper to hand Senegal a dream start.
Things went from bad to worse for the Lions of Mesopotamia in the 13th minute. Following a costly defensive error, Sadio Mane intercepted the ball and burst clean through on goal.
In a desperate attempt to stop him, Iraq defender Rebin Sulaka pulled Mane back, denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. After a quick VAR review, English referee Anthony Taylor produced a straight red card, leaving Iraq down to ten men for the remainder of the game.
After a frustrating first half in which they struggled to add to their lead, Senegal came out after the break knowing they needed more goals, and they wasted no time doubling their advantage in the 56th minute.
A dreadful mistake from Zidane Iqbal deep inside his own half gifted possession to Camara after a misplaced lofted pass.
Camara surged down the right wing before squaring the ball perfectly for Ismaila Sarr, who made no mistake in slotting it home.
Less than two minutes after coming on as one of three second-half substitutions, Pape Gueye added the third for the Lions of Teranga.
With plenty of space just outside the penalty area, he calmly carried the ball forward before unleashing a powerful left-footed strike that curled beautifully into the net to give his side a comfortable cushion.
The fourth blow landed in the 71st minute as Senegal completely dictated the tempo. Midfielder Iliman Ndiaye orchestrated the attack brilliantly in the final third, drawing the exhausted Iraqi defence out of position.
He slipped a perfectly weighted, unselfish pass across the face of the box, finding the onrushing Gueye, who calmly guided home his second goal with a well-struck left-footed finish.
Senegal truly put the icing on the cake in the 82nd minute to seal a commanding 5-0 victory. Knowing that every goal mattered for their World Cup knockout hopes, the African side kept their foot firmly on the gas despite already having the game under control.
The fifth goal came courtesy of Everton’s Ndiaye, who capitalised on an Iraq side that had completely fallen apart under relentless pressure.
Senegal won possession once again as Iraq struggled to play out from the back, allowing Ndiaye to find space just outside the box.
He needed no second invitation, unleashing an absolute rocket that bent past the helpless Iraqi goalkeeper to cap off a historic second-half demolition.
With that strike, Senegal became the first African nation to score five goals in a single FIFA World Cup match, significantly boosting their goal difference and moving to the brink of the Round of 32 while sending Iraq crashing out of the tournament.
Read more about other World Cup teams in 2026 below:
Morocco national football team 2026
Argentina national football team 2026
Mexico national football team 2026
Spain national football team 2026
Brazil national football team 2026
France national football team 2026
Senegal national football team 2026