Iraq's hopes of advancing in the 2026 World Cup were dashed as they fell to a 5-0 defeat against Senegal in their final group match. The match took place at BMO Field in Toronto, Canada, on June 26, 2026. This loss marks Iraq as the third Asian team to exit the tournament, following Qatar and Jordan.

After earlier defeats to Norway (1-4) and France (0-3), Iraq needed a win against Senegal to keep their hopes alive for a potential spot in the knockout stage. In the 2026 World Cup format, in addition to the two top teams from each group, the eight best third-placed teams also qualify for the Round of 16. However, Iraq's performance fell short, as they conceded an early goal in the fourth minute from a header by Habib Diarra and faced further difficulties when Rebin Sulaka received a red card just nine minutes into the match.

Playing with ten men for most of the game, Iraq struggled to recover and conceded four more goals in the second half. Throughout the match, Iraq had only 31% possession and managed just one shot on target compared to Senegal's 12. This heavy defeat concluded Iraq's World Cup journey with three losses, having conceded 12 goals and scored only once.

Senegal's victory not only eliminated Iraq but also complicated the situation for South Korea, which now finds itself in a precarious position. As of now, Australia and Japan are the only Asian teams to have secured their places in the Round of 16.

With Iraq's exit, the focus shifts to the remaining Asian teams: South Korea, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, all of which still have a chance to advance. Iran currently sits second in Group G with two points and has a crucial match against Egypt. Saudi Arabia, at the bottom of Group H with one point, must win against Cape Verde to keep their hopes alive. Uzbekistan, yet to earn a point in Group K, needs a victory over the DR Congo to continue their campaign. South Korea has completed its three matches, finishing third in Group A with three points and a goal difference of -1, awaiting results from other groups to determine if they can secure a spot as one of the best third-placed teams.

The 2026 World Cup not only expands to 48 teams but also marks the return of spots for the best third-placed teams, a feature last seen in 1994. Following the group stage, the 32 teams advancing to the Round of 16 will include 12 group winners, 12 runners-up, and eight third-placed teams with the best records. In the event of tied points, FIFA will assess head-to-head records, goal differences, and total goals scored in matches between the tied teams. If necessary, further criteria will be applied until rankings are determined.