TORONTO — Senegal needed to win and it needed to win big. Done and done.

Senegal racked up the goals on 10-man Iraq in a 5-0 victory Friday that boosted its chances of reaching the World Cup knockout stages.

“The job is done, but fate is no longer in our hands,” Senegal coach Pape Thiaw said. “We have to wait until the other matches are over.”

Pape Gueye scored twice in a second-half flurry as the Senegalese — vying to advance from third place in Group I — took advantage of a first-half red card on Iraq defender Rebin Sulaka, who prevented Sadio Mane from going in on goal alone by yanking his shirt.

Habib Diarra scored in the fourth minute and even though Sulaka was sent off in the 13th, Senegal didn’t find the net again until Ismaila Sarr’s goal in the 56th minute.

Gueye then added his two goals, both hard blasts from around the edge of the penalty area, and Iliman Ndiaye netted Senegal’s fifth.

Senegal now has three points and a plus-two goal differential. The eight best third-place teams advance to the Round of 32.

Iraq was eliminated without a point in its first World Cup appearance since 1986.

Messi not starting

ARLINGTON, Texas — Lionel Messi will not start when defending World Cup champion Argentina plays its group finale.

Coach Lionel Scaloni said Friday that Messi will be on the bench at the start of Saturday night’s game against Jordan, but he indicated the World Cup career goal scoring leader could come in as a substitute.

Messi, who turned 39 on Wednesday, has scored all five goals for Argentina in the first two games of this tournament. He has 18 career World Cup goals. This is his sixth World Cup.

The return

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Colombia’s soccer team is set to play Portugal on Saturday in a World Cup match at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. The game marks their first at the stadium since the chaotic Copa America final in 2024 when ticketless fans breached security.

Now, heightened security measures are in place, including multiple checkpoints and a strong federal presence. The match is in high demand due to South Florida’s large Colombian community and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo. Tickets are selling for thousands. Officials emphasized that only ticketed fans should attend.

Dembele leads France

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — France forward Ousmane Dembele scored a first-half hat trick, including one off a feed from Kylian Mbappe, to help his team beat Norway 4-1 at the World Cup.

Dembele goals came in the seventh, 20th and 32nd minutes. It was the first first-half hat trick at the World Cup since Russia forward Oleg Salenko scored three of his five goals in the opening 45 minutes at the 1994 World Cup. Desire Doue also scored for France.

The French had already secured its place in the knockout round. Norway was also assured of a spot in the round of 32.

Ex-player apologizes

Former Germany player Bastian Schweinsteiger said Friday he was talking about Ivory Coast’s style and not its players when he spoke last weekend about what his country’s national team could expect from its African opponent during their group match.

Schweinsteiger called it, “A bit African football, a bit unorthodox, a bit wild, a bit perhaps also not so conditioned by tactics” and added it was unpredictable. Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae slammed those comments on Thursday as being racist.

“I was talking about football, not about people,” Schweinsteiger said. “It’s a football analysis. Nothing more and nothing less. … I certainly didn’t mean to offend anyone.”

Germany beat the Ivory Coast 2-1.