Iraq

Senegal vs Iraq final score was Senegal 5-0 Iraq at the World Cup 2026. Diarra, Sarr, Gueye (brace) and Ndiaye scored as Iraq played with ten men from the 13th minute. Senegal now in the Round of 32

Published: June 27, 2026 | Category: FIFA World Cup 2026 | Author: Hemim SK

Senegal vs Iraq result: Senegal 5-0 Iraq.

The scoreline is dominant. Five goals. A clean sheet. Pape Gueye scoring twice. Habib Diarra opening the scoring in the 4th minute. Ismaila Sarr adding a second in the 56th. Ibrahim Ndiaye sealing it in the 82nd. Iraq reduced to ten men from the 13th minute after Ramzi Sulaka’s early red card. The result itself was, after that dismissal, largely inevitable.

But the result is not the story. The story is what happens next.

Senegal finish Group I in third place. Norway finish second. France finish first. Which means the Lions of Teranga — Africa Cup of Nations champions, one of the most talented and most underappreciated squads at the entire 2026 World Cup — will face France in the Round of 32 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

France, who just scored four goals against Norway’s rotated side and who have Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Desire Doué in their front line. France, the tournament favourites. France, who drew 3-1 with Senegal in the group stage in a match that was one of the most anticipated Group I fixtures before the tournament began.

Senegal beat France in 2022. That result — one of the defining moments of African football in the modern era — happened at the Africa Cup of Nations when Sadio Mané’s penalty gave the Lions of Teranga the trophy on French soil. This Round of 32 match is something different. A World Cup knockout stage. No away goals, no legs. Win or go home.

Tonight’s 5-0 result against Iraq was a confidence builder. What happens at MetLife Stadium is the real test.


Senegal vs Iraq — Match Facts

Final Score: Senegal 5-0 Iraq
Date: Thursday June 26, 2026
Venue: Boston Stadium — Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia / (confirmed venue)
Group: I

Goals:
Senegal — H. Diarra 4′
Senegal — I. Sarr 56′
Senegal — P. Gueye 59′
Senegal — P. Gueye 71′
Senegal — I. Ndiaye 82′

Red Card: Iraq — R. Sulaka 13′

Group I Final Standings:
1. France — 7 points
2. Norway — 6 points
3. Senegal — 3 points (advance as best third-placed team or via bracket positioning)
4. Iraq — 0 points (eliminated)


How the Match Unfolded

4′ — GOAL SENEGAL — HABIB DIARRA

Senegal wasted no time at all. Inside four minutes, Habib Diarra — the Strasbourg midfielder who has grown into one of Senegal’s most dynamic players — opened the scoring with a finish that immediately set the tone. Senegal pressed high, moved the ball quickly and took the lead before Iraq had settled into the match.

13′ — RED CARD IRAQ — RAMZI SULAKA

The match effectively ended as a contest nine minutes later. Ramzi Sulaka received a red card in the 13th minute — a dismissal that left Iraq playing with ten men for the entire remaining 77 minutes of the match. Against a full-strength Senegal side with the attacking quality of Ismaila Sarr, Pape Gueye and Sadio Mané available, ten-man Iraq faced an almost impossible task.

The first half remained 1-0 — Senegal controlled but Iraq, to their credit, organised themselves with discipline despite the numerical disadvantage and kept the scoreline to a single goal at the break.

Half time: Senegal 1-0 Iraq (Iraq — ten men)

The Second Half — Senegal Take Control

56′ — GOAL SENEGAL — ISMAILA SARR

Eleven minutes into the second half, Ismaila Sarr doubled Senegal’s advantage. The Marseille winger has been one of Senegal’s most dangerous attackers throughout the group stage, and his goal here showed exactly why — direct, pace-driven, finished with confidence.

59′ — GOAL SENEGAL — PAPE GUEYE

Three minutes later, Pape Gueye added a third. The Marseille defensive midfielder — a player who operates far from the spotlight of football’s elite clubs but who has been quietly one of Senegal’s most consistent performers at this tournament — scored his first of the evening.

71′ — GOAL SENEGAL — PAPE GUEYE (BRACE)

Gueye completed his brace in the 71st minute, making it 4-0 and putting the emphatic nature of the result beyond any remaining doubt. Against ten men, Senegal had done what was expected — controlled, clinical, professional.

82′ — GOAL SENEGAL — IBRAHIM NDIAYE

Ibrahim Ndiaye added the fifth with eight minutes remaining. A comprehensive, dominant performance — five goals, clean sheet, maximum points from the final group match.

Full time: Senegal 5-0 Iraq.


Iraq’s World Cup Ends — But Their Story Deserves to Be Told Properly

Before moving on entirely to what this result means for Senegal, Iraq’s campaign deserves a moment of genuine acknowledgement. This was only Iraq’s second World Cup appearance, and their first since 1986 — a 40-year gap between tournament appearances. They arrived here having drawn with Spain in pre-tournament, qualifying from a continent that is producing increasingly competitive football. They were reduced to ten men in the 13th minute of this match through a red card that made their already difficult task almost impossible.

But across their group stage campaign — including the moments of quality shown against Norway before the 4-1 defeat, including the competitive spirit shown against Senegal even with ten men — Iraq demonstrated that their presence at this World Cup was earned, not gifted. Their first World Cup goal, scored by Aymen Hussein against Norway in the group stage, will be celebrated in Baghdad for years.

Their tournament ends here. Their story in world football continues.


What Happens Next — Senegal vs France in the Round of 32

This is the match that defines what Senegal’s 2026 World Cup campaign ultimately means. Three points from the group stage. A 5-0 win to close out the group. And now — at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the same venue that hosted Brazil vs Morocco in the group stage, the same venue that will host the World Cup Final on July 19 — Senegal face France.

As covered in our Senegal World Cup 2026 Schedule, this squad was assembled with exactly this kind of moment in mind. Edouard Mendy in goal. Kalidou Koulibaly marshalling the defence. Sadio Mané — who has been managing his minutes carefully through the group stage — potentially available for a fuller role in a knockout match. Ismaila Sarr providing the wide threat. The Lions of Teranga have the squad, the experience and the belief to make this difficult for France.

France beat Senegal 3-1 in the group stage. But knockout football is different. Single match. No second chances. Every team that gets eliminated from the Round of 32 will have felt, coming in, that they had a chance. Senegal genuinely do.

Walid Regragui’s Morocco proved in 2022 that African nations can reach the semi-finals of a World Cup. Senegal — with arguably more individual quality than Morocco had in 2022 — will look at that precedent and believe.


Frequently Asked Questions

What was the Senegal vs Iraq final score?
Senegal vs Iraq final score was Senegal 5-0 Iraq at the FIFA World Cup 2026. Goals from Habib Diarra (4′), Ismaila Sarr (56′), Pape Gueye (59′ and 71′) and Ibrahim Ndiaye (82′).

Who scored for Senegal against Iraq?
Habib Diarra (4′), Ismaila Sarr (56′), Pape Gueye (59′ and 71′) and Ibrahim Ndiaye (82′) scored for Senegal.

Why did Iraq play with ten men against Senegal?
Iraq’s Ramzi Sulaka received a red card in the 13th minute, leaving Iraq with ten men for the remaining 77 minutes of the match.

Who does Senegal face in the World Cup 2026 Round of 32?
Senegal face France in the Round of 32, after finishing third in Group I. The match is at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey — the venue that will host the World Cup Final on July 19.

Did Sadio Mane score for Senegal against Iraq?
Sadio Mane did not score against Iraq but was involved in Senegal’s attacking play. His availability and fitness for the Round of 32 match against France will be a key story heading into the knockout stage.

Has Senegal ever reached the Round of 16 or beyond at a World Cup?
Yes — Senegal famously reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2002, their debut tournament, where they were eventually eliminated by Turkey. They have not replicated that run since. A Round of 32 win over France would put them on course for their deepest World Cup run in over two decades.


Conclusion

Senegal vs Iraq result: Senegal 5-0 Iraq. A comfortable win that ends Iraq’s campaign and sends Senegal through to the Round of 32.

But as I said at the start — the scoreline is not the story. The story is MetLife Stadium. The story is France. The story is whether Senegal — Africa Cup of Nations champions, a squad built specifically for this kind of moment — can do what Morocco did in 2022 and shock the world when the tournament actually starts.

The group stage is over. The real World Cup begins Sunday.


Read next: France 4-1 Norway — Dembele Hat-Trick Exposes Norway’s Rotation Gamble — World Cup 2026

Related: Senegal World Cup 2026 Schedule — Lions of Teranga Complete Group I Guide
Related: Iraq World Cup 2026 Schedule — Historic Return After 40 Years
Related: World Cup 2026 Round of 32 Schedule — Every Match and Venue


Can Senegal do some magic in the Round of 32 and repeat Morocco’s 2022 magic —  Tell us in the comments below