Senegal thrash Iraq 5-0 to boost World Cup last-32 hopes

Senegal kept their hopes of reaching the last 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 alive with a dominant 5-0 victory over Iraq in Toronto. The Lions of Teranga, who needed a win to have any chance of progressing, delivered a goalscoring performance that could see them advance as one of the eight best third-placed teams.

Early breakthrough and red card

Senegal took the lead inside four minutes. Abdoulaye Seck headed a corner toward goal, and Habib Diarra applied the finishing touch. Iraq's task became even harder shortly after when defender Rebin Sulaka was sent off for denying Sadio Mane a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Second-half onslaught

Ten minutes into the second half, Senegal doubled their lead. A mistake by Iraq's Zidane Iqbal deep in his own half allowed Lamine Camara to set up Ismaila Sarr, who fired home his third goal of the tournament. Substitute Pape Gueye then scored just 89 seconds after coming on, capitalizing on another Iraq error to lash the ball into the top corner. Gueye added his second and Senegal's fourth in the 71st minute, again hammering the ball into the top corner. Iliman Ndiaye completed the scoring in the 82nd minute with a powerful strike from 20 yards.

Reactions

Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw said: "This was a game we had to win, and we did it. We wanted to score more, because you never know. Congratulations to the team. We did an excellent job today." Forward Ismaila Sarr added: "We won 5-0, and I think it was well deserved. The team handled this match well. It wasn't easy at first because we were playing against a direct rival who wanted this victory too. Our future is no longer in our own hands. We will have to wait and see. But we got the job done."

Iraq coach Graham Arnold reflected on the defeat: "It was really tough today after that early red card. When you make the mistakes that we had, you get punished at a World Cup. We had an extremely tough group here. We performed well in two of the three matches. It has been an enjoyable journey and hopefully the players will return home with good experiences. They have now learned what it takes to play against these types of players. The fans were so loud and so noisy. We are so proud that we have given the fans this opportunity to enjoy the World Cup."

Context

Senegal are appearing at the World Cup for the third consecutive edition, while Iraq are making only their second appearance, having lost all three group matches on their debut in 1986. Senegal's fate now depends on results elsewhere as they await confirmation of whether they will finish among the best third-placed teams.