TORONTO — Football has a way of testing your faith. For 45 minutes at BMO Field, Senegalese supporters sat in agonizing silence, watching their team dominate possession, create chances, and somehow fail to score against an Iraq side that had already conceded seven goals in two matches. The ghosts of missed opportunities against France and Norway were haunting the Lions of Teranga once again.
Then the second half started. And what happened next was not just a victory. It was a catharsis.
Ismaila Sarr has been the face of Senegal’s frustration and their hope in equal measure throughout this tournament. Against Norway, he scored twice in a losing cause, his goals arriving too late to change the result. Against Iraq, he made sure the timing was perfect.
Three minutes into the second half, Pape Matar Sarr — no relation, but a kindred spirit in midfield — slid a pass through the Iraqi defence. Ismaila Sarr’s acceleration was devastating. One touch to control, one touch to set himself, one touch to fire past Jalal Hassan. The stadium erupted. The weight of 225 goalless minutes at this World Cup lifted from Senegalese shoulders.
The second goal, six minutes later, was Nicolas Jackson’s redemption. The Chelsea striker had been the subject of anxious conversations among Senegalese fans. He had hit the post against France. He had missed chances against Norway. In the 53rd minute, when Iliman Ndiaye’s cross arced into the box, Jackson attacked it with the fury of a man who had been waiting his entire career for this moment. His header was unstoppable. His celebration — kneeling, arms raised to the heavens — was the image of a player finally free.
Pape Matar Sarr’s thunderbolt in the 61st minute was the goal of the match. Twenty-five yards out, the Tottenham midfielder wound up his right foot and unleashed a shot that was still rising when it hit the back of the net. Hassan, who had been Iraq’s hero in the first half, didn’t even dive. Some shots are simply not meant to be saved.
Sarr’s second goal in the 74th minute was a gift from the Iraqi defence — a sloppy back-pass that he intercepted with the instincts of a natural predator. He rounded Hassan and finished with the calm of a man who has scored four goals in two World Cup matches. Sarr is now Senegal’s all-time leading scorer at a single World Cup. He is 26 years old. He is just getting started.
Habib Diallo’s header in the 88th minute made it five. The scoreline was emphatic. It was also, in its own way, merciful — it reflected the truth of the match rather than the cruelty of a narrow defeat.
Iraq leave the World Cup with their heads held higher than their results suggest. Aymen Hussein’s goal against Norway will be replayed in Baghdad for generations. Graham Arnold’s team were outmatched, but they were never embarrassed — not in spirit, not in effort. The 5-0 scoreline says more about Senegal’s quality than Iraq’s shortcomings.
What Happens Next
Senegal’s three points and -1 goal difference now enter the labyrinthine calculation of the best third-placed teams. They need results elsewhere to go their way. But after scoring five goals in 45 minutes, after Sarr’s explosion, after Jackson’s redemption — who would bet against them?
Match Stats
- Senegal 5-0 Iraq
- Goals: I. Sarr 48′, 74′; Jackson 53′; P.M. Sarr 61′; Diallo 88′
- Shots: Senegal 22-5 Iraq
- Possession: Senegal 61%-39% Iraq
- Venue: BMO Field, Toronto
- Date: June 26, 2026
