Senegal kept alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a commanding 5-0 victory over Iraq in Toronto on Friday.
The Lions of Teranga knew they needed a big win to stand any chance of progressing as one of the best third-placed teams, and Pape Thiaw’s side delivered with their most complete performance of the tournament.
Habib Diarra gave Senegal an early lead before Iraq defender Rebin Sulaka was sent off after a VAR review for denying Sadio Mané a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Iraq defended bravely for the rest of the first half, but Senegal took control after the break, with Ismaïla Sarr, Pape Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye completing a heavy victory.
Gueye scored twice with powerful finishes as Senegal moved to three points in Group I, having earlier lost to France and Norway.
The Teranga Lions will now wait to see whether their goal difference is enough to take them into the round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams.
For Iraq, the defeat ended a painful campaign. They finished bottom of the group with no points after defeats by Norway, France and Senegal.
Senegal start fast in must-win match
Senegal began the match with urgency, knowing only a convincing victory would keep them in the World Cup.
Idrissa Gana Gueye fired the first warning shot in the third minute, with his powerful effort deflected wide for a corner.
From the resulting set-piece, Lamine Camara delivered into the area and Seck rose highest to head towards goal. The ball appeared to touch Habib Diarra before crossing the line, but the breakthrough belonged to Senegal’s early pressure.
That fourth-minute goal settled the Lions of Teranga and placed immediate pressure on Iraq.
The match then turned further in Senegal’s favour when Sulaka misjudged a defensive header and allowed Mané to race through on goal.
The Iraqi defender brought him down outside the area, and although the referee initially showed a yellow card, the decision was upgraded to a red card after a VAR check.
Mané took the free-kick himself, but goalkeeper Ahmed Basil produced a fine save to keep Iraq in the contest.
Iraq hold firm before half-time
Despite playing with 10 men, Iraq resisted Senegal’s pressure for the remainder of the first half.
Senegal controlled possession and pushed forward through Sarr, Diarra, Mané and Ismail Jakobs, but they struggled to turn their numerical advantage into more goals before the break.
Jakobs came close in the 33rd minute with a low strike that flashed narrowly wide, while Mané sent an effort over the crossbar in first-half stoppage time as he continued to chase his first goal of the tournament.
At the other end, Iraq offered little in attack, but their defensive effort ensured they reached half-time only one goal down.
It left Senegal with work still to do, especially with qualification calculations likely to be decided by goals scored and goal difference.
Sarr opens the floodgates
Iraq suffered another setback at the start of the second half when Basil was forced off injured and replaced by Jalal Hassan.
Senegal quickly increased the tempo.
Diarra went close in the 47th minute, before Iraq produced one of their few attacking moments when Ali Jassim forced Mory Diaw into a save from distance.
But Senegal’s second goal arrived in the 56th minute after Camara punished Iraq for losing possession.
The midfielder won the ball from Zidan Iqbal and carried it into the area before squaring for Sarr, who finished from close range.
That goal broke Iraq’s resistance and gave Senegal the platform they needed to chase a bigger victory.
Pape Gueye makes his mark
Three minutes after Sarr’s goal, Senegal struck again.
Gueye, introduced from the bench, received the ball near the edge of the box and drove a powerful shot beyond Hassan to make it 3-0.
It was a decisive moment, and Senegal suddenly looked capable of scoring with every attack.
Gueye added his second in the 71st minute after being found inside the area, sending another fierce strike into the net to extend Senegal’s lead.
Mané almost joined the scoring in the 74th minute with a clever lob, but his effort came back off the post.
Senegal’s fifth arrived in the 83rd minute when Eliamin Ndiaye fired from the edge of the area to complete the rout.
Lions wait on knockout fate
The final whistle brought relief for Senegal, but not immediate certainty.
After defeats by France and Norway, the Lions of Teranga had left themselves needing a statement performance in their final group match.
They did their part in Toronto.
The victory showed Senegal’s attacking depth, with goals from defenders, midfielders and forwards, and it gave the African side a chance of extending their World Cup journey.
For Thiaw’s team, the question now is whether five goals will be enough in the wider battle among third-placed teams.
CAF
