Group · Matchday 3Upcoming
Senegal vs Iraq — World Cup 2026 Group · Matchday 3
Match preview / What to expect
Updated Jun 6, 2026Senegal face Iraq in a Group I clash that could be decisive for both. Senegal, perennial African contenders, carry power and pace through Nicolas Jackson and Ismaïla Sarr, with Kalidou Koulibaly marshalling at the back.
Iraq, under Graham Arnold, are organised and combative, with Aymen Hussein offering a focal point and Zidane Iqbal adding quality in midfield.
Senegal hold the edge in individual quality, but Iraq's resilience could make this a grind if the Lions of Teranga don't take their chances.
Key storylines
- 01Senegal's attacking pace vs Iraq's disciplined structure
- 02Koulibaly's leadership at the heart of the Senegal defence
- 03Arnold's Iraq aiming to spring a surprise
Prediction
Kickoff editorial call
Senegal 2-0 Iraq
Projected lineups
Projected XI — not confirmed
Senegal
Formation 4-3-3- 1É. Mendy
- 2K. Diatta
- 3K. Koulibaly
- 4M. Niakhaté
- 5I. Jakobs
- 6P. Gueye
- 7L. Camara
- 8P. Sarr
- 9I. Sarr
- 10N. Jackson
- 11C. Ndiaye
Iraq
Formation 4-2-3-1- 1Jalal Hassan Hachim
- 2Merchas Doski
- 3Rebin Solaka
- 4Zayed Tahseen
- 5Akam Rahman
- 6Amir Al Ammari
- 7Z. Ismaeel
- 8Zidane Iqbal
- 9Kevin Yakob
- 10Ali Al Hamadi
- 11Aymen Hussein
Team news
Senegal
- Jackson and Sarr lead a quick Senegal front line
- Koulibaly anchors the back four
Iraq
- Hussein the main aerial threat for Iraq
- Iqbal adds composure in midfield
Sources
Preview is editorial. Projected lineups are not confirmed team sheets.
Predict this match
Want it to count? Open the predictor → to lock in your scoreline before kickoff and climb your league.
Head-to-head
H2H history connects with results data — recent meetings, form and goal trends will appear here once match results are loaded.