Preview: France vs Iraq - prediction, team news, lineups | World Cup 2026

Striving to seal a World Cup 2026 last-32 place with a game to spare, France's second Group I contest pits them against Iraq in Philadelphia on Monday evening.

Les Bleus survived a scare to overcome Senegal 3-1 in their tournament opener, while their unfancied foes were battered 4-1 by Norway first up, making it unsurprising to see France voted the firm favourites for this match across the best betting sites for the World Cup.

Match preview

The established World Cup superstars have been out in force during the earliest rounds of the tournament, including France hero Kylian Mbappe, whose name now features in a few more pages of the footballing annals.

Either side of Bradley Barcola's delightful finish and Ibrahim Mbaye's response for Senegal, Mbappe became the highest male French scorer of all time - surpassing Olivier Giroud in the process - as well as breaking Just Fontaine's record for the most World Cup goals for the French men's team.

While nearly 100 million fans have voted on an online petition to kick Mbappe out of Real Madrid, the 27-year-old continues to find safe haven under Didier Deschamps, whose side are now one win away from an early knockout qualification.

Les Bleus are currently having to settle for second place in the standings owing to Norway's more emphatic victory over Iraq, though, and Deschamps's men have now failed to keep a clean sheet in six straight games following Mbaye's consolation for Senegal.

However, outscoring the opposition has been the name of the game for France, who have now found the back of the net in 14 successive matches, scoring multiple times in 13 of those contests.

France's penchant for goals spells danger for an Iraq side who shipped four to an Erling Haaland-inspired Norway on matchday one, although head coach Graham Arnold took a more upbeat tune at full time.

The erstwhile Australia manager - who witnessed his side briefly restore parity through Aymen Hussein's equaliser - expressed pride at his side's performance for 70 minutes of the Group I match, before individual mistakes allowed Norway to widen the chasm.

The fourth-placed Lions of Mesopotamia can still upset the odds and qualify for the last 32, but defeat on Monday coupled with Norway taking at least a point from their meeting with Senegal would extinguish their already-slim top-two hopes, leaving them praying for a third-placed reprieve.

Having also crashed out early in 1986 with three losses to their name, Iraq are still without a single point at the World Cup Finals, and a run of just one win from six matches suggests that Arnold's men will be waiting a little longer for that historic lift-off moment.

The Lions of Mesopotamia can take some comfort from scoring in nine of their last 11 fixtures in all competitions, but such a statistic is likely to prove trivial in their first-ever meeting with the 2018 World Cup winners.

France World Cup form:

France form (all competitions):

Iraq World Cup form:

Iraq form (all competitions):

Team News

© Iconsport / Baptiste Fernandez

France have been exercising caution over defensive quartet William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, Theo Hernandez and Malo Gusto in recent days, but there is nothing to suggest that they will not be fit to face Iraq on Monday.

However, Hernandez is reportedly in line to drop out for Lucas Digne in one of three changes to the Bleus XI, another of which will see Manu Kone replace Aurelien Tchouameni in the centre of the park.

After becoming the youngest Frenchman to score on his World Cup debut since Thierry Henry 28 years ago, Barcola is also being tipped to replace Desire Doue on the left-hand side.

On Norway's end, wide man Ali Jasim was withdrawn in the second half of the defeat to Norway due to a knock, but the 22-year-old has trained fully this week and is available for selection.

Goalkeeper Jalal Hassan has also overcome a minor fitness concern, but after his unconvincing display against Norway, local reports are speculating that Ahmed Basil could start in between the sticks instead.

Striker Hussein - memorably detained for several hours by US immigration officials - followed up his bedlam-inducing equaliser against Norway with an own goal, becoming just the third man to score at both ends in a World Cup match in the process.

France possible starting lineup:

Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Digne; Rabiot, Kone; Dembele, Olise, Barcola; Mbappe

Iraq possible starting lineup:

Basil; Ali, Tahseen, Hashem, Doski; Bayesh, Al-Ammari, Iqbal, Ali Jasim; Hussein, Al-Hamadi

We say: France 4-0 Iraq

France's defensive vulnerabilities were well-documented ahead of their meeting with Senegal, who further exposed the chinks in Deschamps's armour, but ultimately to no avail.

Iraq should not even experience a sliver of joy in front of goal, as Les Bleus sail into the last 32 with a clean sheet in tow.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.