Shafaq News- Philadelphia

Iraq are turning their attention to Senegal after a 3–0 defeat to France in the 2026 World Cup group I stage, with players pointing to individual mistakes and lapses in concentration that proved costly against one of the tournament favorites.

“Small errors at this level are punished immediately,” Ali Al-Hamadi told reporters after the game, arguing that Iraq showed encouraging signs in the first half but struggled to match France’s quality over the full match. He described the encounter as a valuable test and stressed that lessons from it could still benefit the team moving forward.

A different perspective came from Zidane Iqbal, who pointed to the impact of an early deficit and a lengthy stoppage between halves, saying the interruption disrupted Iraq’s rhythm. He insisted, however, that such factors cannot serve as justification, underlining that responsibility is shared and attention must now shift fully to the decisive meeting with Senegal.

“We still have a chance,” defender Rebin Sulaka told reporters, expressing belief that Iraq can recover despite the strength of the opposition. He further explained that the halftime break did not affect morale, pointing out that the coaching staff urged players to regain confidence and tighten their approach after the first half.

Sulaka also thanked Iraqi fans who followed the match in Philadelphia, calling for continued support ahead of the upcoming fixture in Toronto, where Iraq will face Senegal in a match that could define its World Cup campaign.

Iraq fell 3–0 to France in the early hours of Tuesday, its second group-stage match of the tournament.