Senegal beats Iraq 5-0 at Toronto Stadium to keep World Cup hopes alive

Senegal has defeated Iraq 5-0 at Toronto Stadium to keep its 2026 FIFA World Cup hopes alive.

Senegal entered the Friday afternoon contest as the favourite, ranked 19^th in the world over Iraq’s 60^th-place position.

With the win, Senegal, which currently is in third place in the stacked Group I, still has a chance to advance to the knockout stage.

The top eight third-place teams will advance. Senegal is currently fifth.

The other two teams in Group I, France and Norway, also played on Friday. Both of those teams have already punched their ticket to the Round of 32. France beat Norway 4-1.

Our live coverage has ended. Here’s a recap of the event:

5:45 p.m. - 18th drone intercepted

Toronto police say officers intercepted an unauthorized drone at Billy Bishop Airport.

The drone was confiscated and the operator was charged with reckless operation endangering aviation safety under the Canadian Aviation Regulations.

“We are actively enforcing all illegal drone activity,” police said.

It was the 18th drone that police intercepted during the World Cup.

- Bryann Aguilar, CP24.com/CTVNewsToronto.ca journalist

5:05 p.m. - Senegal still in contention

Senegal is still alive at the World Cup after beating Iraq 5-0 at Toronto Stadium. The West African team is currently in third place in Group I with three points and a +2 goal differential.

Senegal now sits fifth among the third-place teams. The top eight advances to the knockout stage.

- Bryann Aguilar, CP24.com/CTVNewsToronto.ca journalist

4:54 p.m. - Full house at Toronto Stadium

The final group stage match at Toronto Stadium is a sellout with an announced attendance of 43,036.

- Jermaine Wilson, CTV News Toronto Journalist

4:52 p.m. - Senegal keeps scoring

Iliman Ndiaye joins the goal-scoring party, netting one in the 82nd minute and Senegal leads Iraq 5-0.

- Bryann Aguilar, CP24.com/CTVNewsToronto.ca journalist

4:41 p.m. - Iraq fans continue to cheer for team

While their team is down 4-0, Iraq supporters are keeping their spirits high. The team is down to 10 players after Rebin Sulaka was handed a red card in the 13th minute.

- Jermaine Wilson, CTV News Toronto Journalist

4:39 p.m. - Gueye strikes again

Pape Gueye scores his second goal of the match in the 71st minute, extending Senegal’s lead to 4-0.

- Bryann Aguilar, CP24.com/CTVNewsToronto.ca journalist

4:26 p.m. - Another one for Senegal

Pape Gueye’s 59th-minute goal gives Senegal a 3-0 lead against Iraq.

- Bryann Aguilar, CP24.com/CTVNewsToronto.ca journalist

4:23 p.m. - Senegal extends lead

Ismaila Sarr scored Senegal’s second goal of the match in the 56th minute.

- Bryann Aguilar, CP24.com/CTVNewsToronto.ca journalist

3:57 p.m. - Senegal leads at halftime

Senegal has a 1-0 lead over Iraq at the half. Both countries are looking to be among the top eight third-place finishers that will advance to the knockout stage.

In the other Group I action, France leads Norwar 3-1 at halftime.

- Bryann Aguilar, CP24.com/CTVNewsToronto.ca journalist

3:20 p.m. - Hotel occupancy down in Toronto during first weeks of World Cup

An organization representing Toronto hotels says demand for accommodations in the city is down as more rooms stood empty during the first two weeks of the World Cup than in the same time last year.

Sara Anghel, president of the Greater Toronto Hotel Association, says she’s optimistic the international soccer tournament will be a boon to the city’s hotel industry in the years to come, but with the World Cup underway, hotels haven’t been seeing immediate benefits.

Read more here.

The Canadian Press

3:05 p.m. – Senegal scores early

Senegal has taken an early 1-0 lead after Habib Diarra scored on a header off a corner kick in just the fourth minute of the match.

Senegal will need to beat Iraq and likely by multiple goals if it wants to advance out of Group I after dropping its first two matches at this World Cup.

- Chris Fox, Managing Digital Producer for CP24 and CTV News Toronto

3:03 p.m. - Moment of silence for Venezuela before match

The last group match at Toronto Stadium is underway. Before kickoff, a brief moment of silence was observed for the victims of the Venezuela earthquakes. At least 920 people are dead and more than 3,300 are injured in the back-to-back quakes late Wednesday.

- Bryann Aguilar, CP24.com/CTVNewsToronto.ca journalist

2:45 p.m. - A $38 cheeseburger

One fan shared that they paid $38 (including tax) for a cheeseburger, a bag of chips and a bottle of pop.

The eye-watering food and drink prices at Toronto Stadium were a talking point when they were revealed earlier in the tournement.

The cheapest beer at the stadium cost $16.75 and a bottle of water or chips cost $7.

- Jermaine Wilson, CTV News Toronto Journalist

2:30 p.m. - Iraq fan takes sick day to watch match, asks boss to ‘forgive me’

One Iraq supporter interviewed live on CP24 said he took a sick day to watch the match.

“My boss is going to see me right now. I called in sick boss but I’m here. Forgive me,” he told CP24 reporter Melissa Duggan outside the stadium.

“This is the first time I’ve taken sick days off but we have to watch it.”

The supporter who was holding an Iraq flag said he has been waiting to see the Iraqi team play.

“We haven’t been in FIFA, so I’m really happy,” he said. “Even though we lost two games, we’re hoping for a win this time.”

- Bryann Aguilar, CTV News Toronto Journalist

2 p.m. - Fans trickling into Toronto Stadium

Fans are making their way to their seats at Toronto Stadium with a little over an hour to go before kickoff.

This is the last group stage match in Toronto before the stadium hosts a knockout game next week.

- Jermaine Wilson, CTV News Toronto Journalist

1:15 p.m. - Senegal fan march underway

Hundreds of Senegal fans are now taking to the streets ahead of Friday’s match.

Toronto police have said the Senegal crowd is expected to be much more modest than Iraq’s, with only 400 people expected to attend.

But what Senegal lacks in crowd size, it makes up for in FIFA rankings. The West African country is currently ranked 19th. Iraq is ranked 60th.

- Jermaine Wilson, CTV News Toronto Journalist

1 p.m. - ‘I’m very happy to be here’: Mayor of Senegalese town says

For Ansoumana Papiss Dieme, this trip to Toronto is about more than just watching a World Cup match.

Dieme, who is from Senegal and serves as the mayor of the town of Mlomp, says he is hoping to use his time in Toronto to build connections with local officials and explore potential partnerships. The town has a population of roughly 4,000 to 5,000 people, and he says his focus is on creating more opportunities for his community.

Those opportunities include improving access to education, health initiatives and youth sports programs. Dieme says he has been in Toronto for the past three weeks and hopes the relationships built during the World Cup can lead to long-term benefits back home.

“I’m very happy to be here, in Canada,” Dieme told CTV News Toronto on Friday.

- Jermaine Wilson, CTV News Toronto Journalist

12:45 p.m. - Iraq fan march grows to the thousands

The size of the Iraq fan march has grown exponentially since it started roughly 45 minutes ago.

Thousands of fans are now marching towards the pitch waving Iraq and Canada flags.

- Jermaine Wilson, CTV News Toronto Journalist

12:30 p.m. - Looking ahead to Canada vs. South Africa

As Canada gets set to play South Africa Sunday in their first-ever knockout match at a World Cup, their path forward is beginning to take shape.

By no means should South Africa be taken lightly after keeping their World Cup hopes alive with a late equalizer against Czechia before upsetting South Korea to finish second in Group A.

But Canada does enter Sunday’s match as a favourite for good reason, and it’s worth exploring how their tournament could progress with a win.

Canada entered the World Cup sitting 30 spots ahead of South Africa in the FIFA rankings at No. 31 compared to South Africa’s No. 60. Ahead of the tournament, ESPN ranked South Africa 46th among the 48 nations, with Canada coming in at No. 25.

For Alphonso Davies’ possible availability, and who Canada would play next if they win Sunday, click here to read the full story on TSN.ca.

- TSN.ca Staff

12:15 p.m. - Police officers from Qatar seen in Toronto

CTV News spotted at least two police officers from Qatar in attendance at Friday’s march.

Toronto police had previously said that the city would see “football intelligence officers”during the tournament.

Deputy Chief Robert Johnson described those officers at the time as police from other countries who will advise local law enforcement on the ground about what to expect from fans from their countries.

“People celebrate differently, people support their teams differently, some more aggressive than others,” Johnson said. “So we want to make sure that we are able to understand the crowd dynamics of an individual group that we may not have had experience with here in Toronto,” Johnson said at the time.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTV News Toronto Journalist

12 p.m. - Iraq fans take to the streets

Hundreds of Iraq supporters are now marching towards Toronto Stadium ahead of this afternoon’s match.

Fans draped in white, red, black and green are cheering the country’s name as green flares burn and drums sound.

Road closures are in effect and Toronto police are advising motorists in the area to expect traffic delays.

- Jermaine Wilson, CTV News Toronto Journalist

11:45 a.m. - ‘The city’s beautiful’: Iraq fans from Michigan show love for Toronto

Michiganders Angel Ballo and Donovan Hannawa drove to Toronto to take in their very first World Cup game and said they’re impressed with the host city so far.

“The city’s beautiful, a lot of culture here. Kind of reminds me of back home, where everyone’s showing up and showing out, and hopefully it’s going to be a great game,” Hannawa told CTV News Toronto.

“Yeah, I have to say the same thing, you know, the people have showed up, and I’m very proud of my country for obviously making it, even though it’s not been the best results. But we’re very proud that these guys are representing us here in this country and in this World Cup,” added Ballo.

- Jermaine Wilson, CTV News Toronto Journalist

11:30 a.m. - Parking spot near Toronto Stadium ‘unlikely,’ city says

Drivers heading to Toronto Stadium this afternoon are “unlikely” to find a parking spot, warns the city.

Instead, motorists are being encouraged to park outside of the downtown core and take transit to the pitch near the waterfront.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTV News Toronto Journalist

11:15 a.m. – No matches being broadcast at Nathan Phillips Square

The city says that no matches will be broadcast at Nathan Phillips Square today as the Pride Festival gets underway.

Select World Cup games have been shown on screens at the city hall space throughout the tournament.

Officials say today’s matches will be shown at the FIFA Fan Festival at Fort York.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTV News Toronto Journalist

11 a.m. – Iraq fans gathering in Stanley Park

A few hundred Iraq supporters are gathering in Stanley Park Friday morning ahead of this afternoon’s fan march.

Police have said as many as 3,000 fans are expected to attend the event at 12 p.m.

Iraq’s fans are hoping their squad can pull off a win today, after getting blanked 3-0 by group leader France earlier this week and falling 4-1 to Norway.

- Jermaine Wilson, CTV News Toronto Journalist

10:45 a.m. - Toronto to see sun and cloud mix

The conditions for Friday’s match will be mainly cloudy with a high of 25 C.

Humidity will make it feel closer to 30 with the humidity.

Clouds will persist into the evening hours following the final whistle, but Toronto is expected to stay dry for fans leaving Toronto Stadium after the match.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTV News Toronto Journalist

10:30 a.m. - Some tickets unsold

A handful of tickets are still available ahead of this afternoon’s match.

At least 49 tickets were up for grabs on FIFA’s website at time of writing, with seats in sections 123 and 124 going for roughly $630 each.

On the resale market, StubHub has more than a few passes on offer, with the cheapest seat going for approximately $668.

The priciest option is selling for $1,841 and gets you in the front row of Section 107.

- Alex Arsenych, CTV News Toronto Journalist

10:15 a.m. – Senegal, Iraq fan marches confirmed

Toronto police say fan marches for both Iraq and Senegal will take place later today and are advising drivers to expect delays in the area.

Iraq fans are set to congregate at Stanley Park, near King Street West and Strachan Avenue at 12 p.m., before marching to Coronation Park.

An hour later, the Senegal supporters will depart from Trinity Bellwoods Park and march down Strachan to Coronation Park.

Police tell CP24 that some 3,000 Iraq fans and 400 Senegal fans are expected at their respected marches.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTV News Toronto Journalist

10 a.m. - Road closures in effect

Much of the area surrounding Toronto Stadium at Exhibition Place and the FIFA Fan Festival at Fort York are now closed to traffic.

Lake Shore Boulevard West is shut down from Bathurst Street to British Columbia Road. Roads are expected to reopen at 8 p.m.

Manitoba Drive and most of Strachan Avenue is also closed. Traffic between Dufferin Street and Strachan, north of the Gardiner Expressway, is limited to local traffic only.

Toronto police have said that additional road closures may take effect as fan marches get underway this afternoon.

- Phil Tsekouras, CTV News Toronto Journalist