Pre-match commentary
France and Iraq will enter the second match of Group I of the 2026 World Cup with completely different goals. While Les Bleus are aiming for an early ticket to the knockout round, Iraq must win points to nurture hopes of going further.
In the opening match, the French team defeated Senegal with a score of 3-1 to temporarily rise to the top group. Meanwhile, Iraq suffered a heavy 1-4 defeat to Norway and fell into a difficult position after the first match.
Coach Didier Deschamps' team continues to show the strength of one of the top championship candidates. Although not fielding the strongest attacking squad, France still created many dangerous opportunities thanks to superior quality in all lines.
The attack with Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise or Bradley Barcola possesses speed, technique and the ability to create very high breakthroughs. These are considered weapons that can help France penetrate the crowded defense that Iraq is likely to deploy.
Under coach Didier Deschamps, France always maintains a balance between attack and defense. However, when facing opponents who are underestimated, Les Bleus often know how to increase pressure and effectively take advantage of opportunities to create a big gap.
On the other side, Iraq will definitely enter the game with high determination after the defeat against Norway. The Asian representative can choose a defensive counter-attacking style of play, taking advantage of physical strength and long ball situations to cause difficulties for the opponent.
However, the gap in class between the two teams is quite clear. If France finds a goal early, Iraq will be forced to push up the squad and that could be an opportunity for Mbappe and his teammates to exploit the gap with fast counter-attacks.
With superior personnel quality and admirable squad depth, France is assessed to have many opportunities to win by a large margin to get closer to the knockout round.
Force information
France is likely to continue using the framework that defeated Senegal. Kylian Mbappe is the biggest hope in attack, while Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise provide support behind.
In the midfield, Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot play the role of regulating the play. The defense with William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano and Theo Hernandez still brings certainty to the blue shirt team.
On the Iraqi side, the Asian representative is likely to still maintain the familiar 4-4-2 formation. Mohanad Ali and Aymen Hussein will be the biggest hopes in the attack in the task of finding goals.
The France vs Iraq match in Group I of the 2026 World Cup will take place at 4:00 AM on June 23rd (Vietnam time).
Expected lineup
France: Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Theo Hernandez; Rabiot, Tchouameni; Doue, Olise, Dembele; Mbappe.
Iraq: Hassan; H.Ali, Tahseen, Hashim, Doski; Jasim, Ismael, Al Ammari, Bayesh; Hussein, M. Ali.
