France will look to make it two wins from two at the 2026 World Cup as they face Iraq in Philadelphia on Monday. Les Bleus came into this tournament tipped as favourites and impressed in their first outing last week. After a stuttering first-half, they produced a 3-1 victory over an impressive Senegal side, with Kylian Mbappe scoring either side of Bradley Barcola’s chip.
One more win should be sufficient to see them through to the knockout rounds, and they will be fully confident of making that prospect a reality facing Iraq. The Lions of Mesopotamia were well off the pace as they shipped four to Norway last time out, but did well to get on the scoresheet through Aymen Hussein in the first-half. An error-strewn performance saw them left on the floor of Group I come full-time, and things will not get any easier against Didier Deschamps’ France.
Date, kick-off time and venue
France vs Iraq is scheduled for a 10pm BST kick-off on Monday, June 22, 2026. The match will take place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Where to watch France vs Iraq for FREE
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on BBC One, with coverage starting at 9.30pm BST ahead of a 10pm kick-off. Live stream: UK viewers can also catch the contest live online via BBC iPlayer. Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog. Free highlights: World Cup highlights are available on FIFA’s official YouTube channel, along with BBC iPlayer.
France vs Iraq team news
France came through their group stage opener with no new injuries and William Saliba completed the full 90 minutes despite coming into camp with a nagging back problem. With a tricky match against Norway on the horizon, Didier Deschamps may take this as an opportunity to rest some of his bigger-name players. Bradley Barcola could come into the starting XI, as could Rayan Cherki. Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace is still waiting to make his World Cup debut, and may get an opportunity to do so here.
France squad: Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan, Robin Risser, Brice Samba. Defenders: Lucas Digne, Malo Gusto, Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, Ibrahima Konate, Maxence Lacroix, Jules Kounde, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano. Midfielders: N'Golo Kante, Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot, Aurelien Tchouameni, Warren Zaire-Emery. Forwards: Maghnes Akliouche, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Michael Olise, Kylian Mbappe, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Marcus Thuram.
Iraq had some concern around forward Ali Jasim after he fell awkwardly against Norway, but he has been cleared and seems fit to return against France. Graham Arnold will have to name a full-strength side here if he is to have any hope of getting a result out of this match, though he may opt for a more defensive setup as he looks to limit France’s dazzling attack.
Iraq squad: Goalkeepers: Fahad Talib, Jalal Hassan, Ahmed Basil. Defenders: Hussein Ali, Manaf Younis, Zaid Tahseen, Rebin Sulaka, Akam Hashem, Merchas Doski, Ahmed Yahya, Zaid Ismail, Frans Putros, Mustafa Saadoon. Midfielders: Amir Al-Ammari, Kevin Yakob, Zidane Iqbal, Aimar Sher, Ibrahim Bayesh, Ahmed Qasim, Youssef Amyn, Marko Farji. Forwards: Ali Jasim, Ali Al-Hamadi, Ali Yousef, Aymen Hussein, Mohanad Ali.
France vs Iraq prediction
There is a good reason France were so widely considered favourites coming into this tournament. Their squad quality is second to none, and that showed plainly as they eased past Senegal last week. Iraq, meanwhile, struggled to even keep pace with Norway, let alone beat them. This match will bring a certain step up in terms of quality, and they showed little last time out to suggest they will be able to cope with the onslaught. We expect France to produce a decisive victory. France to win, 5-0.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
This will be the first meeting between these two nations.
France vs Iraq match odds
Odds via UK betting sites (subject to change). We aim to offer every online gambler and reader of The Standard a safe and fair platform through unbiased reviews and offers from the UK's best online gambling companies. Gambling can be addictive, always play responsibly and only bet what you can afford to lose. Gambling sites have a number of tools to assist you to stay in control, including deposit limits and time outs. If you think you have a problem, advice and support is available for you now from BeGambleAware or Gamcare. Any offers or odds listed in this article are correct at the time of publication but are subject to change. Terms & Conditions apply to all offers.
