Senegal arrived at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as one of Africa’s strongest sides. They did not arrive to go home in the group stage.
On June 26, Senegal faces Iraq at BMO Field in Toronto in what is effectively a sudden-death match for both teams. A Senegal loss sends them home. A draw likely does the same. Only a win keeps their hopes alive, and even then, they would need results to break their way for a best-third-place berth.
How both teams got here
The math is brutal. Both Senegal and Iraq sit on zero points in Group I heading into this fixture, meaning neither team has earned a result worth keeping.
Senegal’s most recent result offers the clearest explanation: a 3-2 defeat to Norway. Conceding three while scoring two is not a defensive crisis, but it is not a confidence-builder either.
