“Senegal thrashes Iraq and is one step away from the Round of 16 of the World Cup.”

Senegal crushed Iraq with a devastating performance and is practically one step away from the Round of 16 in the World Cup, following a tournament start marked by frustrating defeats. With qualification at risk and pressure at its peak, the Lions of Teranga responded like true predators, steamrolling their opponent with a resounding 5-0 victory and making an impressive comeback in the race for qualification.

The match took place in Toronto and took on decisive contours right from the first minutes. The Senegalese team, led by Pape Thiaw, entered the field aware that only victory — and ideally a substantial result — would keep their hopes of advancing in the competition alive. With only three points accumulated in Group I, after defeats against France and Norway, there was no room for hesitation. On the other side, Iraq, also dreaming of qualification, knew that only a miracle would keep them in the running, especially given the heavy goal deficit.

O MUNDIAL 2026 VIVE-SE COM A LEGO

Just four minutes in, Abdoulaye Seck jumped higher than the entire Iraqi defense and opened the scoring with a header, in a play where Habib Diarra also deflected the ball and ended up celebrating the goal. The nightmare for the Iraqis intensified at the 13th minute when Sulaka halted Sadio Mané in a clear goal-scoring opportunity. After consulting the VAR, referee Anthony Taylor did not hesitate and showed a direct red card to the defender, leaving Iraq reduced to ten players and completely pinned back in their own penalty area.

From that point on, the Senegalese monologue was absolute, with the African team taking control of the game and suffocating the opponent, who could only resist as best as they could. Despite territorial dominance, Senegal struggled to penetrate the Iraqi defensive wall until halftime, but the avalanche of goals was about to arrive.

In the second half, Ismaila Sarr capitalized on an excellent individual effort by Lamine Camara and increased the lead to 2-0, reigniting the offensive momentum of the Lions of Teranga. The goal fest began just past the hour mark when Pape Gueye, who had just come on, scored twice with two unstoppable shots—one of them a true missile from outside the box—and Iliman Ndiaye capped it off with a goal that lifted the stadium, completing the Senegalese “manita.”

This result has a direct impact on the standings in Group I and on qualification prospects. Senegal finished the group stage with three points and a positive goal difference of two, positioning themselves as the best third-placed team and ahead of all the teams with only one point. The qualification for the Round of 16 could only escape the African champions if a highly unlikely combination of results occurs in the five remaining groups. “We did everything within our reach and achieved a positive goal difference. Now we have a 97% chance of qualifying!” highlighted the page Football Meets Data, after the final whistle.

The Senegalese rout also had repercussions in other groups, with South Korea being one of the teams most affected by this outcome, closely followed by Austria and Algeria from Group J. Scotland, in turn, finds itself in an extremely precarious position and may see its qualification dream dashed due to Senegal’s superiority in this last round.

Pape Gueye, the protagonist of two goals after coming off the bench, received praise on social media, with Sport TV writing: “Gueye came on with a hot foot.” The Senegalese midfielder showcased his killer instinct at a crucial moment, demonstrating the quality and depth of Pape Thiaw’s squad.

In contrast, Iraq bids farewell to the World Cup without any points earned and with the worst defensive record of the tournament, equaling Tunisia with twelve goals conceded and only one scored, a statistic that reflects the competitive gap between the two teams.

With this overwhelming victory, Senegal regains morale and re-establishes itself as a formidable opponent for the knockout stage, now waiting for the conclusion of the remaining groups to confirm, almost mathematically, their passage to the Round of 16. Should qualification be confirmed, the Lions of Teranga promise to be a tough nut to crack and may finally continue their status as African champions in a competition where they have already proven to have the nerve and talent for more. Iraq, on the other hand, returns home empty-handed, with a campaign to forget.

NOW YOU CAN FOLLOW THE WORLD CUP WITH ALL THE INFORMATION – HERE