DUBAI: Iraq bowed out of the 2026 World Cup on Friday with a 5-0 loss to Senegal at Toronto Stadium that left them bottom of Group I with no points from their campaign.
The result rounded off three heavy defeats in which Iraq conceded 12 goals and scored only one. Senegal now sit on three points in third place, with a goal difference of plus-2 and must wait to see whether that will be enough to advance. Norway and France had already secured the top two places in the group and booked their places in the Round of 32, with the French topping the group thanks to a 4-1 victory when the two sides met on Friday.
Both Iraq and Senegal entered their match with no points, having each lost to France and Norway. However, the game was not entirely meaningless. While a draw would have eliminated both countries, a win for either, especially a convincing one, offered some slim hope of qualifying for the knockout stages as one the eight best third-placed teams.
For Iraq, however, who already had a goal difference of -6, this looked to be a tall order from the outset. And so it proved to be.
In fact, the match was all but over as a contest inside the first 15 minutes. After just four minutes, Habib Diarra diverted Abdoulaye Seck’s header to give Senegal the lead. Then, barely 10 minutes later, Rebin Sulaka was red-carded for denying a goal-scoring opportunity when he took down Sadio Mane.
This presented Senegal with a golden opportunity to significantly improve their goal difference and climb the table of third-placed teams. On 32 minutes, they might have doubled their lead but a long range effort by Ismail Jakobs whizzed past the Iraq keeper Ahmed Basil’s left-hand post.
Having been clearly at fault for one of the goals in the 3-0 defeat by France in Iraq’s previous match, this time Basil dealt comfortably with Senegal’s occasional aerial threat.
As the match entered nine minutes of first-half stoppage time, Mane shot high and wide from a decent position, and Iraq did commendably well to hold out until half time just the one goal down.
As expected, the early part of the second half mostly featured Senegal on the attack but Iraq initially defended with discipline. At times, the African team kept possession at a walking pace.
On 52 minutes, a rare Iraqi effort on goal, by Ali Jassem, was easily gathered by Senegal’s goalkeeper, Mory Diaw. Moments later, Jalal Hassan, brought on for the injured Basil, was called on to save a low Ismaila Sarr shot to keep the deficit to a single goal. The reprieve would not last long.
On 55 minutes, Senegal made what looked to be an important breakthrough for their hopes of progressing when Zidane Iqbal’s mistake in defense allowed Sarr to tap in from Lamine Camara. Three minutes later, things got even better for Senegal when substitute Pape Gueye’s outstanding left foot effort made it 3-0 and inched them ever closer to the chance of advancing.
Just after the hydration break, Gueye hit an another unstoppable shot past Hassan, and Senegal, now on three points and goal difference of plus-1, looked to be improving their odds of a place the Round of 32 with every attack. On 75 minutes, a delicate Mane chip struck the bar and Iraq were spared the embarrassment of conceding a fifth. Briefly.
Goal No. 5 eventually came after 83 minutes, courtesy of an Iliman Ndiaye effort every bit as explosive as Gueye’s double.
Senegal kept pressing for a sixth but were ultimately content with their five-goal haul. Now they await the outcome of the final group stage matches to learn their fate but their chances look good.
