France are just one victory away from cruising through the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, having already topped a daunting section labeled 'Group of Death.' The French will face Iraq in Boston (USA) on Monday at 21:00 GMT.
In their opening match, France rallied from a shaky first half to beat Senegal 3-1. Star forward Kylian Mbappe scored twice, becoming the all-time leading scorer for the French national team. Substitute Bradley Barcola also found the net within two minutes of coming on.
Iraq, appearing at the World Cup for the first time since 1986, face a massive challenge. They lost 4-1 to Norway in their Group I opener. To stay alive in the tournament, coach Graham Arnold's side need at least a draw against France — a team that has reached the final in each of the last two World Cups.
Coach Didier Deschamps may reshuffle his left flank, with Barcola replacing Desire Doue and Lucas Digne coming in for Theo Hernandez. Manu Kone could also start in midfield after training alongside Adrien Rabiot.
For Iraq, Ali Jasim has recovered from injury and is ready to start. Goalkeeper Ahmed Basil may replace Jalal Hassan between the posts.
According to Opta's supercomputer, France have an 88.5% chance of winning, while Iraq's probability stands at just 3%. The likelihood of a draw is 8.5%. With five wins in their last six matches, France are considered one of the title favorites this year.
This is the first-ever meeting between the two nations in international football history. The match will be broadcast live on beIN Sports, Groupe M6 (France), BBC One (UK), FOX, and Universo (USA).
