Senegal have given themselves a massive fighting chance of extending their stay at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ after unleashing an emphatic 5-0 goal fest against Iraq at the Toronto Stadium.

The clinical victory in their final Group I clash means the Lions of Teranga finish group play with three points. Pape Thiaw’s side must now endure a tense wait to see if other results fall in their favor to officially seal a Round of 32 berth as one of the tournament’s eight best third-placed teams.

Early Opener and Red Card Disruption

Senegal wasted absolutely no time stamping their authority on the game, breaking the deadlock just four minutes after kickoff. Following a well-delivered corner kick, Abdoulaye Seck rose highest to nod the ball toward the goalmouth, allowing Habib Diarra to apply the vital final touch.

Things quickly went from bad to worse for Iraq. Shortly after falling behind, they were reduced to ten men when defender Rebin Sulaka committed a cynical foul on Sadio Mané. The referee deemed Sulaka to have denied a clear goalscoring opportunity, brandishing a straight red card and leaving Iraq with a mountain to climb.

Second-Half Blitz and the Gueye Show

Despite their numerical advantage, Senegal had to wait until ten minutes into the second half to double their lead, courtesy of a defensive gift. Zidane Iqbal committed a glaring mistake deep in his own half, allowing Lamine Camara to pounce, win possession, and square the ball for Ismaïla Sarr to fire home his third goal of the tournament.

The floodgates officially opened 89 seconds later. Super-sub Pape Gueye made an instantaneous impact right after stepping onto the pitch, capitalizing on yet another Iraqi defensive blunder to lash a ferocious strike into the top corner.

Gueye wasn’t finished. With 20 minutes remaining on the clock, the ball broke kindly for the midfielder inside the area, and he hammered home an almost identical effort into the top corner to make it 4-0.

Iliman Ndiaye capped off the flawless afternoon in the 82nd minute, picking up the ball and smashing a glorious 20-yard effort past the helpless Iraqi goalkeeper to round out the 5-0 rout.

Group I Final Standings

With France dominating the group with a perfect nine points and Norway taking second with six, Senegal rests in third place with a healthy +2 goal difference, while Iraq exits the competition at the bottom of the standings.