France vs Iraq Lineups World Cup 2026 – The match between France and Iraq on Matchday Two of Group I in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to be an intriguing contest.

France aims to secure early qualification for the Round of 32, while Iraq is trying to maintain its chances of staying competitive in the tournament.

The match is scheduled to take place at Philadelphia Stadium on Monday, June 22, 2026, at 05:00 PM local time.

Les Bleus successfully overcame a tough test by defeating Senegal 3–1 in their opening match of the tournament, while their underdog opponents, Iraq, suffered a 4–1 defeat against Norway.

It is unsurprising that France is considered a strong favorite in this match according to various leading World Cup betting platforms.

Before the match begins, let us take a look at Mansion Sports’ prediction for the France vs Iraq lineups in the 2026 FIFA World Cup below.

Team Conditions Ahead of the Match

France

The biggest stars of the FIFA World Cup once again demonstrated their quality in the early stages of the tournament, including France’s star player Kylian Mbappé, who added another historic achievement to his career.

Between Bradley Barcola’s stunning goal and Ibrahim Mbaye’s response for Senegal, Mbappé became the all-time top scorer for the French men’s national team, surpassing Olivier Giroud’s record. He also broke Just Fontaine’s record as the French player with the most goals in FIFA World Cup history.

Despite nearly 100 million fans signing an online petition calling for Mbappé’s removal from Real Madrid, the 27-year-old continues to enjoy full confidence from Didier Deschamps. His team now needs just one more victory to secure early qualification for the knockout stage.

Les Bleus currently sit second in the standings due to Norway’s more convincing win over Iraq. In addition, Deschamps’ side has failed to keep a clean sheet in six consecutive matches after conceding against Senegal.

However, France’s attacking productivity remains its greatest strength. They have scored in 14 consecutive matches and have scored more than one goal in 13 of those games.

Iraq

France’s attacking strength poses a major threat to Iraq, who conceded four goals against Erling Haaland’s Norway in their opening match. Nevertheless, head coach Graham Arnold remains optimistic after the match.

The former Australia coach, whose team briefly equalized through Aymen Hussein, expressed pride in his players’ performance for 70 minutes of the match. However, several individual errors allowed Norway to extend their lead.

The Mesopotamian Lions, currently in fourth place, still have a chance to qualify for the Round of 32. However, a defeat against France combined with either a draw or a win for Norway over Senegal would significantly reduce their chances of finishing in the top two, leaving them dependent on the best third-placed ranking pathway.

After also being eliminated in the group stage of the 1986 World Cup with three defeats, Iraq has yet to earn a single point in World Cup finals history.

A record of just one win in their last six matches also highlights the challenges they face in making history.

Nevertheless, Iraq can take some confidence from the fact that they have scored in nine of their last 11 matches across all competitions. However, this statistic is unlikely to carry much weight against the 2018 World Cup champions in their first-ever meeting.

France vs Iraq Lineups World Cup 2026

France (4-2-3-1)

Regarding the France squad, careful monitoring has been carried out on William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, Theo Hernández, and Malo Gusto in recent days. However, there is no indication that any of the four players will miss the match against Iraq on Monday.

Nevertheless, Theo Hernández is reportedly a candidate to be replaced by Lucas Digne in one of three expected changes made by Didier Deschamps. Another potential adjustment involves Manu Koné replacing Aurélien Tchouaméni in midfield.

After becoming the youngest French player to score on his World Cup debut since Thierry Henry 28 years ago, Bradley Barcola is also expected to replace Désiré Doué on the left side of the attack.

Iraq (4-4-2)

Meanwhile, regarding the Iraq squad, winger Ali Jasim was taken off in the second half of the defeat against Norway after suffering a knock. However, the 22-year-old has completed full training this week and is available for selection.

Goalkeeper Jalal Hassan has also recovered from a minor fitness issue. However, following an unconvincing performance against Norway, local reports suggest that Ahmed Basil could start in goal.

Striker Aymen Hussein, who drew attention after being held by United States immigration officials for several hours, scored the equalizer against Norway before later scoring an own goal. He thus became only the third player in FIFA World Cup history to score for both teams in a single match.

This concludes the complete information regarding the France vs Iraq Lineups World Cup 2026 along with the latest condition of both teams ahead of the match.

With the quality of their squad, France is clearly the favorite to secure victory. However, Iraq will certainly not give up easily and will attempt to produce a surprise to keep their World Cup 2026 hopes alive.

It will be interesting to see whether Les Bleus can secure qualification for the next stage or whether Iraq can achieve a positive result at Philadelphia Stadium.