Senegal's World Cup hopes alive after 5-0 rout of Iraq; France tops group

Senegal is one step closer to the knockout stage of the World Cup after a decisive 5-0 victory over Iraq. The win, achieved while playing against ten men for most of the match, positions Senegal as a potential best third-place finisher with three points and a plus-two goal difference. Habib Diarra opened the scoring in the fourth minute, followed by goals from Ismaïla Sarr (56th), Pape Gueye (59th/71st), and Iliman Ndiaye (82nd). Iraq's hopes were significantly hampered by a red card shown to Rebin Sulaka in the 14th minute, forcing them to play shorthanded for the majority of the game. This loss marked the end of Iraq's second World Cup appearance, mirroring their debut 40 years prior with three group-stage defeats. In the parallel Group I match, France continued their winning streak with a commanding 4-1 victory over Norway. Ousmane Dembélé was the star, netting a hat-trick in the 7th, 20th, and 32nd minutes. Désiré Doué added a fourth goal in second-half stoppage time. Norway's lone goal came from Thelo Aasgaard in the 21st minute. France's win guarantees them the top spot in Group I, setting them up to face a third-place qualifier in the next round.