France vs Iraq 2026 World Cup preview, team news, prediction and betting tips: No joy for Iraq against Les Blues

Both sides opened with contrasting Matchday 1 results that make this fixture pivotal for very different reasons.

France beat Senegal 3-1 and can effectively seal qualification to the knockout stage with a second straight win.

Iraq, by contrast, lost 4-1 to Norway on Matchday 1 and need at least a point here to keep their World Cup campaign alive.

France will look to protect their perfect start early in the FIFA World Cup group stage when they take on Iraq on Monday.

Les Bleus survived a scare to overcome Senegal 3-1 in their tournament opener thanks to Kylian Mbappe, who became the highest male French scorer of all time, surpassing Olivier Giroud in the process.

They 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.

The expectation is that France will push for a big scoreline here to improve their goal difference heading into the final group game, with Norway looming as the likely Matchday 3 decider for top spot.

This penchant for goals spells danger for an Iraq side who shipped four to an Erling Haaland-inspired Norway on matchday one.

This is only their second World Cup appearance since Mexico 1986, and the Norway loss exposed the gap between the Lions of Mesopotamia and European opposition at this level.

Iraq did show brief moments in that game, with Aymen Hussein grabbing a goal, but sustaining pressure against a French side of this quality for 90 minutes is a different proposition entirely.

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.

France and Iraq have no recorded meetings in their international histories, making this fixture a genuine first.

Iraq have won two of their last four games against European opponents (D1, L1), as many as across their previous 16 such matches combined (D8, L6).

The Lions of Mesopotamia can also 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.

*Odds sourced from SportyBet and are correct at the time of publishing. Always gamble responsibly.

There is a significant gulf in class between France and Iraq, if the stats are anything to go by.

Didier Deschamps’ side have not always defeated teams by large margins, but they always possess the potential to do so. Three of their last four matches have featured over 3.5 goals.

There are no fresh injury concerns for either side, but Deschamps has options to rotate if he chooses, with the French probably having the strongest depth of any team at the tournament. 

Meanwhile, Graham Arnold may alter his lineup, but Ali Jasim is available after his knock against Norway. 

Regardless of who Les Bleus start, they should be too strong for the Lions of Mesopotamia. 

We expect a decisive win for the Europeans in Pennsylvania.

Though their attack is formidable, France haven’t exactly been strong defensively recently. 

Brazil, Colombia, Ivory Coast, and Northern Ireland have all scored against them this year, as did Senegal on Tuesday. 

Their last clean sheet came against Ukraine in November, and they’ll be eager to change that this weekend. 

This should be a successful game for Les Bleus at both ends of the pitch. The Iraqis failed to score against Venezuela in their final warm-up fixture, and France’s backline is stronger than Norway’s. 

Additionally, Deschamps’ men have likely learned from the fixture against Senegal. 

With a plethora of attacking talent vying for places, Iraq could face a heavy defeat. The European outfit should take a step closer to the knockout stages.

Kylian Mbappe is the most likely goalscorer in this one. However, there is no value in picking him. 

That’s why we’re looking at other players for value, and picked Paris Saint-Germain superstar, Ousmane Dembele. He’s yet to score for his nation at a World Cup, but we’re backing him to change that here.

The PSG player doesn’t play as high up the pitch for France as he does domestically, but he’s still a huge threat.

Iraq have a lot to worry about when facing this French side, and any of their attackers could score. 

After another strong season in Ligue 1, though, we’re tipping Dembele to get on the scoresheet.

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 could 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 could also replace Desire Doue on the left-hand side.

On Iraq’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 suggest that Ahmed Basil could start in between the sticks instead.

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

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

France are the overwhelming favorites for this one, and the match data gives no reason to resist them: a two-time World Cup champion with Kylian Mbappé in form against a side that conceded four goals in its tournament opener.

Yes, Les Blues’ defensive vulnerabilities were well-documented ahead of their meeting with Senegal, who further exposed the chinks in Deschamps's armour, but it was 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.

Correct score prediction: France 4-0 Iraq