Senegal are back in contention for a place in the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after dismantling Iraq 5-0 in Toronto on Friday — their most authoritative display of the tournament so far.

The Teranga Lions entered the match knowing that only a commanding scoreline would give them a realistic shot at advancing as one of the best third-placed teams in the group stage. Coach Pape Thiaw's side answered the call with conviction.

Senegal strike early and Iraq go down to 10 men

Habib Diarra put Senegal ahead in the 4th minute, with a goal stemming from a set-piece delivery by Lamine Camara. Seck rose to head towards goal, and the ball appeared to touch Diarra before crossing the line.

The match shifted dramatically when Iraq defender Rebin Sulaka brought down Sadio Mané as he raced through on goal. The referee's initial yellow card was upgraded to a red following a VAR review, leaving Iraq to face the remaining 80-plus minutes with 10 men.

Mané stepped up to take the resulting free-kick, but goalkeeper Ahmed Basil produced a strong save to keep Iraq within reach at the break.

Iraq hold firm but Senegal turn the screw

Credit to Iraq — they resisted the numerical disadvantage for the remainder of the first half. Ismail Jakobs came closest for Senegal with a low drive in the 33rd minute that flashed narrowly wide, while Mané sent an effort over the bar in stoppage time.

The second half began with another blow for Iraq as Basil went off injured, replaced by Jalal Hassan. Senegal wasted little time exploiting the disruption.

Ismaïla Sarr made it 2-0 in the 56th minute after Camara won possession, drove into the area, and squared for Sarr to finish from close range. The goal broke Iraq's resistance entirely.

Pape Gueye seals a famous win

Three minutes later, substitute Pape Gueye drove a fierce shot beyond Hassan from the edge of the area to make it 3-0. He was not done — Gueye added his second in the 71st minute with another powerful finish from inside the box, stretching Senegal's lead to four.

Mané came agonisingly close to joining the scorers in the 74th minute, his clever lob bouncing back off the post. The fifth goal arrived in the 83rd minute when Iliman Ndiaye fired home from the edge of the area to complete the rout.

The wait goes on

The result lifts Senegal to three points in Group I, but their fate remains in other teams' hands. Having lost to both France and Norway earlier in the group stage, the Teranga Lions must now hope their goal difference is sufficient to earn one of the best third-place spots in the round of 32.

For Iraq, the tournament is over. They finished bottom of Group I without a single point, having been beaten by Norway, France, and Senegal across three group games.