Ismaila Sarr appears as a great offensive weapon in Senegal’s confirmed lineup for the clash against Iraq, in the third round of Group I of the 2026 World Cup. The fast striker, who has already shown an eye for goal in the competition, carries high expectations in a decisive game for the survival of the Lions of Teranga in the tournament. The match takes place at 4pm (Brasília time), at BMO Field, in Toronto.
Pape Thiaw kept Sarr among the starters in attack. With Mory Diaw replacing the injured Édouard Mendy in goal, the defense features Krépin Diatta, Kalidou Koulibaly, Moussa Niakhaté and El Hadji Malick Diouf. In the middle, Idrissa Gueye (captain), Pape Gueye and Lamine Camara provide balance, while Sadio Mané and Nicolas Jackson form the trio alongside Sarr. The Crystal Palace player represents speed and unpredictability against an Iraqi defense that has suffered a lot so far.
Senegal confirmed lineup
- Goalkeeper: Mory Diaw
- Defenders: Krépin Diatta, Kalidou Koulibaly, Moussa Niakhaté, El Hadji Malick Diouf
- Midfielders: Lamine Camara, Idrissa Gueye (c), Pape Gueye
- Attackers:Ismaila Sarr, Sadio Mané
Iraq should go to the field with Ahmed Basil in goal, Hussein Ali, Akam Hashem, Zaid Tahseen and Merchas Doski in defense. The middle has Amir Al-Ammari and Ibrahim Bayesh, with Ali Al-Hamadi up front. Zero in the table and with a more negative goal difference, the Iraqis also need to win by an elastic score.
Sarr has already found the net in the group stage and arrives as one of the main responsible for creating danger in counterattacks. After the 3-1 defeats to France and 3-2 to Norway, Senegal depends on high-level individual performances like his to improve the balance and fight for one of the best third-place places. His speed can exploit spaces left by the Iraqi defense.
France and Norway, already classified, compete for leadership in parallel. This is the first meeting between Senegal and Iraq in the World Cup, and Sarr’s performance could be one of the factors that define who continues to dream of the knockout stage. A convincing victory, with a direct contribution from the attacker, keeps the score open until the end of the round.
Ismaila Sarr’s speed and opportunism represent Senegal’s main hope of turning the game into a positive night and prolonging the World Cup campaign.