Senegal vs. Iraq - prediction, team news, lineups | World Cup 2026

Needing a triumph successful their last World Cup 2026 Group I fixture against Iraq, Senegal caput into Friday’s gathering astatine BMO Field afloat alert of the unit they look to decorativeness arsenic 1 of the 8 champion third-placed teams.

With Iraq besides retaining an extracurricular accidental of progressing successful third, the group’s last fixture promises to beryllium an intriguing 1 for those perusing the best World Cup betting sites.

Match preview

While determination volition beryllium an inquest into what went awry if they exit successful the radical signifier of the 2026 World Cup, Senegal person 1 accidental to hold specified investigations and widen their enactment successful North America. 

Although Africa's 2nd highest-ranked broadside had to contend with 1 of the pre-tournament favourites successful France and a Norway squad boasting arguably the competition's champion centre-forward, the Lions of Teranga were inactive backed to look from those encounters with something.

However, the Lions person floundered spectacularly, with Pape Thiaw's broadside efficaciously uncovering themselves connected the brink of elimination owed to self-inflicted wounds.

Having failed to capitalise connected their beardown first-half showing against Les Bleus earlier an inspired Kylian Mbappe turned the crippled successful the 2018 champions' favour, the African broadside past paid the terms for a glut of antiaircraft mistakes against Norway.

Kalidou Koulibaly bore overmuch of the brunt for Senegal's 3-2 defeat against Erling Haaland and company, with the experienced defender yet enactment retired of his misery against the Norwegians erstwhile helium was withdrawn successful the 72nd minute.

Fresh from that error-strewn Koulibaly display, Senegal present caput into their last radical crippled ranked bottommost of each 12 third-placed teams, portion the Czech Republic inhabit eighth successful that mini array aft picking up a point.

The task is simple: unafraid a convincing triumph implicit Iraq to amended their chances of sneaking done to the archetypal knockout round.

However, the one-time Africa Cup of Nations champions volition person antiaircraft concerns connected their mind, which Friday's opponents volition look to exploit.

While the Lions of Mesopotamia person scored conscionable erstwhile successful defeats to Norway (4-1) and France (3-0), Graham Arnold's squad volition beryllium good alert of Senegal's caller inclination to concede, with Thiaw's men letting successful 3 goals successful 3 of their past 4 matches successful each competitions and friendlies, keeping lone 1 cleanable expanse successful that tally — a goalless gully with Saudi Arabia.

Nonetheless, adjacent with Senegal's caller inability to unafraid a triumph earlier oregon during the planetary tournament, Iraq stock a akin tale, fixed that their past triumph was a 1-0 occurrence implicit Andorra astatine the extremity of May.

Since that affable win, Usood al-Rafidayn person held Spain to a creditable draw, suffered a 2-0 decision against Venezuela and been beaten successful the tourney due by Norway and France, conceding 7 times astatine the finals.

Heading into this pivotal fixture with 2 wins from six successful 2026, determination is scant momentum to suggest that the Asian federation volition beforehand to the archetypal knockout circular successful their archetypal World Cup quality since 1986.

In an adjacent worse presumption than Senegal, their progression is retired of their hands, particularly fixed their minus-six extremity difference, meaning maximum points whitethorn inactive not beryllium capable aft dense losses successful their archetypal 2 Group I games.

Senegal World Cup form:

Senegal signifier (all competitions):

Iraq World Cup form:

Iraq signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Thiaw indispensable marque a large telephone connected Koulibaly aft the centre-back's mistakes against Norway, with Chelsea's Mamadou Sarr and Abdoulaye Seck options to regenerate the captain.

In truth, the erstwhile Napoli defender is apt to commencement specified a pivotal fixture, arsenic is Sadio Mane, who acceptable up 1 of Ismaila Sarr's goals past clip retired but has yet to acceptable the tourney alight successful the opening 2 matchdays.

Sarr responded to his nonaccomplishment to people against France with a beardown show successful the 3-2 decision to Norway, portion Nicolas Jackson is expected to implicit the beforehand 3 aft registering an assistance against the Vikings.

Edouard Mendy is, however, apt to miss retired aft suffering a suspected genu wounded during a mixed outing against Haaland and institution connected Monday.

As for Iraq, Aymen Hussein's engagement for Usood al-Rafidayn is successful uncertainty aft the guardant went disconnected earlier the half-hour people with an injury.

Hussein's imaginable lack would beryllium a large stroke for the broadside presently bottommost of Group I, fixed helium netted 8 times successful qualifying and has scored Iraq's lone extremity astatine the 2026 finals.

It volition beryllium absorbing to spot if Arnold hands Mohanad Ali his archetypal World Cup start, with the striker's 27 planetary goals bettered lone by Hussein's 34 successful this squad, portion Ali Al-Hamadi is backed to pb the line.

Senegal imaginable starting lineup:

Diaw; Diatta, Koulibaly, Niakhate, Diouf; Camara, I Gueye, P Gueye; Sarr, Jackson, Mane

Iraq imaginable starting lineup:

Basil; Ali, Tahseen, Hashem, Doski; Ismail, Al-Ammari, Iqbal; Qasem, Al-Hamadi, Bayesh

We say: Senegal 3-1 Iraq

Senegal person been undermined by profligacy successful onslaught against France and antiaircraft looseness against Norway, leaving them connected the brink of elimination.

Still without a World Cup cleanable expanse since their 2002 debut against Les Bleus, we bash not expect Thiaw's men to assertion a 2nd shutout connected the planetary stage.

Nonetheless, the Lions of Teranga are tipped to unafraid maximum points connected Friday, adjacent if it remains to beryllium seen whether that volition beryllium capable for them to decorativeness among the 8 champion third-placed sides. 

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.