France will face Iraq in their second match of the 2026 World Cup in a direct Group I clash. Iraq is playing in its first World Cup since Mexico 1986 and hopes to have a dignified performance.
Below is all the key information you need to know before the France vs. Iraq game. Let’s get into it.
France vs. Iraq
Kickoff: 5:00 pm ET/2:00 pm PT
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Watch on FOX, Telemundo and fuboTV
For this match, which will be refereed by Canadian Drew Thomas Fischer, the French team arrives having debuted in the tournament with a resounding 3-1 victory over Senegal. They produced a great second half, and made a strong statement in a group where they are favorites to take first place. They currently share that position with Norway, each with three points.
Didier Deschamps’ team is one of the title contenders with a squad full of stars that dazzles with its offensive options. In fact, they have been among the major protagonists on the international stage in recent years, having won the 2018 World Cup and finishing runners-up at Qatar 2022 and Euro 2024.
The Iraqis, for their part, began the World Cup with a 4-1 defeat to Norway and must not lose to avoid being effectively out of the qualification race. This will be difficult, given that they landed in a group with formidable opponents.
Without a great soccer tradition, Iraq entered the tournament through the international playoff, where they defeated Bolivia 2-1. They long to win for the first time in history in a World Cup. Their only previous appearance was at Mexico 1986, when they lost all three group-stage matches.
France: Team News & Predicted Lineups
Deschamps’ France is one of the most fearsome teams in the World Cup. The second half of their first group stage match was spectacular.
The standout players in the first match were Michael Olise and Kylian Mbappé. Two goals for the Real Madrid player and a cathedral-like display playing through the middle for Olise.
The coach changed the system at halftime, moving Olise into an attacking-midfield role behind Mbappé and freeing Ousmane Dembélé on the right wing.
Mbappé opened the scoring in the 66th minute with a through ball from Olise, surpassing Olivier Giroud’s historic record of 57 goals to become the all-time top scorer for the French national team. He then sealed it with a shot from outside the area in added time (90+6′).
Bradley Barcola found the net in the 82nd minute, just 131 seconds after coming off the bench.
France has won four of their last five matches, scoring 12 goals and conceding six, with their only defeat in that period coming in a friendly against Côte d’Ivoire (1-2), when Deschamps was already experimenting with the squad ahead of the tournament.
France predicted XI vs. Iraq:
Maignan;
Koundé, Konaté, Upamecano, Hernández;
Tchouameni, Kanté, Rabiot;
Dembélé, Mbappé, Thuram.
Iraq: Team News & Predicted Lineups
Iraq had a good start to the World Cup despite the heavy defeat. The team showed their face in the first half and even managed to score a great goal. Hussein was the one who put it in the net, but the move put together by the entire team was very commendable.
In that defeat in Boston, Iraq’s defense collapsed after Hussein’s equalizer in the 39th minute; a mistake by the goalkeeper and captain, Jalal Hassan, gifted the second goal to Erling Haaland; Leo Ostigard added the third, while Iraq’s only goalscorer scored an own goal in stoppage time to compound the humiliation.
Arnold’s men have scored five goals and conceded eight in their last five matches, keeping only one clean sheet against Andorra.
Iraq predicted XI vs. France:
Hassan;
Ali, Younis, Hashem, Doski;
Farji, Al Ammari, Sher, Bayesh;
Hussein, Al Hamadi.
The Hooligan Take
Clearly, the French team is the favorite to take all three points in this clash and position itself as Group I leader heading into the round of 32.
With a vastly superior squad, they should secure a comfortable scoreline without too many difficulties against a rival playing in only their second World Cup.
Match prediction: France 3-1 Iraq.
