Senegal 5-0 Iraq: Lions Deliver Five-Star Display as Iraq Crash Out of World Cup

Senegal produced a dominant performance to thrash 10-man Iraq 5-0 in their final Group I fixture on Friday, keeping alive their hopes of reaching the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

After suffering consecutive defeats to France and Norway, the Lions of Teranga responded in emphatic fashion at Toronto Stadium, claiming their first victory of the tournament to finish third in Group I on three points.

The convincing win lifted Senegal to fifth among the tournament's third-placed teams, although Pape Thiaw's side must still wait for the outcome of matches in other groups to determine whether they secure one of the eight available knockout places reserved for the best third-placed finishers.

Knowing that goal difference could prove decisive, Senegal wasted little time asserting themselves.

They broke the deadlock just four minutes into the contest when defender Abdoulaye Seck rose highest to meet a corner, with the ball taking a decisive deflection off Habib Diarra before beating Iraq goalkeeper Ahmed Basil.

Senegal's task became considerably easier nine minutes later after Iraq were reduced to 10 men.

Defender Rebin Sulaka was shown a straight red card following a VAR review after pulling down Sadio Mane on the edge of the penalty area and denying the Senegal captain a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Despite enjoying numerical superiority for most of the match, Senegal struggled to convert their dominance into more goals before the break.

Mane tested Basil from the resulting free-kick, but the West Africans managed only one effort on target for the remainder of the first half.

The floodgates finally opened after the interval.

Former Manchester United midfielder Zidane Iqbal gifted Senegal possession in a dangerous area in the 56th minute, allowing Lamine Camara to square the ball for Ismaila Sarr, who calmly slotted home to double the advantage.

Three minutes later, substitute Pape Gueye made an immediate impact, curling a superb left-footed strike into the top corner to put the result beyond doubt.

The Villarreal midfielder was not finished.

Gueye struck again in the 71st minute with another powerful effort to complete his brace and underline Senegal's dominance.

Fellow substitute Iliman Ndiaye rounded off the scoring late in the game, sealing a comprehensive 5-0 victory that significantly boosted Senegal's goal difference and revived their hopes of extending their World Cup campaign.

While the result confirmed Iraq's elimination from the tournament, Senegal must now endure an anxious wait as results from the remaining group-stage fixtures determine whether their impressive victory is enough to send them into the knockout rounds.