Senegal delivered a commanding 5-0 victory over Iraq in their final Group I match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Toronto Stadium on Friday, strengthening their prospects of progressing to the round of 32. The African side’s performance was marked by early dominance, a key red card to an Iraqi player, and a remarkable double from substitute Pape Gueye.

The scoring began swiftly, with Abdoulaye Seck opening the tally in the fourth minute by heading in from a corner kick, assisted by a slight touch from Habib Diarra. Shortly thereafter, Iraq’s hopes were dealt a significant blow when defender Rebin Sulaka was shown a straight red card in the 13th minute following a VAR review. Referee Anthony Taylor sent Sulaka off for denying a clear scoring opportunity against Senegal’s Sadio Mane, marking the earliest red card of the tournament so far.

Reduced to ten men, Iraq struggled to create any meaningful opportunities for the remainder of the first half, while Senegal maintained strong control of possession. Despite the numerical advantage, Senegal narrowly missed extending their lead before halftime.

Iraq also faced a goalkeeper change at the break, with Jalal Hassan replacing the injured Ahmed Basil. However, Senegal intensified their attack in the second half. Ismaila Sarr doubled the lead in the 56th minute, capitalizing on a defensive error by Iraqi midfielder Zidane Iqbal deep in his own half. This was Sarr’s third goal of the tournament.

Pape Gueye entered the game as a substitute and quickly became the focal point of Senegal’s offense. Within a minute and a half of coming on, he unleashed a curling strike from outside the penalty area for the third goal in the 59th minute. Gueye then added a fourth goal in the 71st minute with a powerful half-volley, further demoralizing the Iraqi side.

Iliman Ndiaye completed the scoring in the 82nd minute with another long-range effort, bringing the final scoreline to 5-0. This marked Senegal as the first African team to score five goals in a single World Cup match.

With three points and a substantial boost to their goal difference, Senegal stands well positioned to advance to the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams. Conversely, Iraq, having failed to secure any points in the group and hindered by disciplinary and injury issues, exit the tournament after a challenging qualification campaign and a difficult group stage.