Senegal - Iraq: score, highlights and statistics

On June 26, 2026, Senegal and Iraq will meet for the very first time in football history at BMO Field in Toronto, with Group I of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at stake - a match that could define which of these two nations advances alongside France and Norway.

Match Info: Senegal vs Iraq

Senegal vs Iraq kicks off on Friday, June 26, 2026 at 20:00 BST (London time) at BMO Field in Toronto, Canada, as part of Group I of the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside France and Norway.

Where to Watch Senegal vs Iraq?

In the United States, the match is broadcast on Fox Sports 1 on cable and satellite television, and can be streamed online via FOX One, Foxsports.com, Fubo TV, and Peacock. Spanish-language viewers in the US can watch on UNIVERSO (TV) and UNIVERSO NOW (online), while Futbol de Primera Radio carries audio commentary for those on the move.

In Canada, TSN+ streams this World Cup group stage fixture. Australian fans can follow the action on SBS On Demand, and viewers in New Zealand on TVNZ+. Both are free-to-air streaming platforms available without a subscription.

Elsewhere, coverage includes DIRECTV Sports Argentina and DIRECTV GO in Argentina, DAZN España in Spain, DAZN Italia in Italy, beIN SPORTS CONNECT F.R. in France, CazéTV in Brazil, and VIX in Mexico.

Senegal vs Iraq - Match Preview

Senegal enter this Group I clash as clear favourites - ranked 19th in the world against Iraq's 58th - but Iraq's remarkable qualification story and their 40-year wait for a World Cup gives this game a weight that goes far beyond rankings.

For Senegal, this is their fourth FIFA World Cup. Their finest hour came in 2002, when they stormed to the quarterfinals on debut, defeating holders France 1-0 in the tournament's opening match. In 2022, they reached the round of 16 before losing 0-3 to England. The Lions of Teranga arrive in 2026 having qualified comfortably as CAF Group B winners in October 2025 and with ambitions of going deeper into the knockout stage. In a group that also contains 2022 runners-up France and a dangerous Norway, every point matters from the first whistle.

Iraq's story is one of footballing perseverance. Their only prior World Cup was in Mexico in 1986, making 2026 just their second appearance in 40 years. They secured qualification only on March 31, 2026, edging Bolivia 2-1 in the inter-confederation playoff - one of the most dramatic routes to a World Cup in recent memory. Ranked 58th by FIFA, Iraq arrive as the group's underdogs, but for a team that waited four decades for this moment, the match against Senegal is already a reward in itself.

Head-to-Head: Senegal vs Iraq

The fixture on June 26, 2026 will be the first ever senior international meeting between Senegal and Iraq - two nations whose footballing paths simply never crossed in decades of international competition.

Since no prior meetings exist in the historical record, the following list marks the very beginning of this head-to-head story:

• 26.06.2026 - FIFA World Cup 2026, Group I - first ever international meeting between Senegal and Iraq

Senegal - Recent Form

Senegal won 3 and lost 2 of their last 5 matches, scoring 9 goals and conceding 6 - a team with real attacking output but with defensive questions to answer heading into the tournament.

The most recent test came on May 31, 2026, when Senegal lost 2-3 to hosts USA in a friendly - a useful warning ahead of the World Cup itself. Before that, Senegal looked sharp: they beat Peru 2-0 on March 28 and defeated Gambia 3-1 on March 31, back-to-back friendlies in which the attack clicked convincingly.

January brought mixed messages. Senegal opened the 2026 AFCON with a narrow 1-0 win over Egypt on January 14, only to suffer a heavy 0-3 defeat to Morocco seven days later. With Sadio Mané and Idrissa Gueye both sidelined through injury, the coaching staff must find answers elsewhere in the squad ahead of their Toronto campaign.

Iraq - Recent Form

Iraq won 3 and lost 2 of their last 5 matches, scoring 5 goals and conceding 4 - modest numbers overall, but with one result that rewrote the history of Iraqi football.

That key result came on April 1, 2026: a 2-1 win over Bolivia in the inter-confederation playoff, the victory that booked Iraq's place at the 2026 World Cup. It was a moment that captured global headlines and completed a 40-year journey back to football's biggest stage. Before Toronto, Iraq kept their preparation tidy with a 1-0 win over Andorra on May 29 - not a glamorous result, but a composed one that suggested focus.

Iraq's December 2025 Arab Cup told a more cautionary tale. They lost to Jordan 0-1 and then to Algeria 0-2 before recovering with a 2-0 win over Sudan. Those back-to-back defeats highlight a fragility against stronger opponents that Senegal's coaching staff will have noted carefully ahead of June 26.

Facts and Statistics

5 key facts about this historic Group I fixture:

• June 26, 2026 marks the first ever senior international match between Senegal and Iraq.
• Iraq return to the World Cup after a 40-year absence - their only previous appearance was Mexico 1986.
• Senegal make their fourth World Cup appearance; their best finish remains the quarterfinals of 2002.
• Senegal are ranked 39 places above Iraq in the FIFA world rankings (19th vs 58th).
• Both teams share an identical last-5 record of 3 wins and 2 losses, but Senegal's tally of 9 goals scored is almost double Iraq's 5.