Mbappe, France play Iraq in World Cup match: prediction, team news, lineups | World Cup 2026

The 2026 World Cup can have 13 totally different kickoff instances. You can use the Al Jazeera Sport widget to search out out precisely when your team is enjoying in your native time.

Who: France vs Iraq
What: FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I match
Where: Philadelphia Stadium, Pennsylvania, US
When: Monday, 5pm (21:00 GMT)
How to comply with: We’ll have all of the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 18:00 GMT in advance of our dwell textual content commentary stream.

France are one win away from safely navigating the World Cup “group of death,” with Les Bleus seeking to take all three factors to safe Round of 32 qualification in opposition to Iraq in Boston.

Two objectives from Kylian Mbappe helped France recuperate from a shaky first half in their opening match in opposition to Senegal in New Jersey, with Didier Deschamps’ aspect finally working out 3-1 winners.

Iraq, that includes on the World Cup for the primary time since 1986, wish to bounce again from a heavy 4-1 defeat in their opening group sport in opposition to Norway.

All you could know earlier than France vs Iraq:

France undergo the gears

It’s laborious to keep away from reaching for the “game of two halves” cliche to explain France’s win over Senegal on Tuesday.

Les Bleus have been a shadow of themselves in the primary half, with quite a lot of star gamers failing to carry out as much as expectations on the pitch.

But the Qatar 2022 finalists have been in one other league in the second half, with Real Madrid’s Mbappe scoring two sensible objectives as he turned France’s all-time top scorer.

Substitute Bradley Barcola made an prompt affect off the bench, scoring his first-ever World Cup objective simply two minutes after approaching, highlighting the depth of star talent accessible to Deschamps.

France might tweak, not tinker, for Iraq conflict

Deschamps has usually favored stability at main tournaments and is unlikely to deviate from that strategy, regardless of an enviable vary of choices in his enjoying squad.

The most probably adjustments are anticipated on the left flank, with Barcola set to exchange Desire Doue in assault and Lucas Digne in line to come back in for Theo Hernandez at left again.

Another adjustment may come in midfield.

Deschamps has held prolonged discussions with Manu Kone in latest days and the 25-year-old was paired with Adrien Rabiot throughout coaching this week, suggesting he may very well be handed a beginning function.

Iraq faces one other large problem

The Lions of Mesopotamia have been the ultimate team to guide their place on the 2026 World Cup, following a grueling campaign which noticed them play a report variety of qualifiers.

Their reward was a spot in Group I, which many specialists imagine is probably the most tough of the 12 on the event.

After a 4-1 humbling in opposition to Norway, Iraq now face Qatar 2022 runners-up France earlier than their closing group sport in opposition to African Cup of Nations (AFCON) finalists Senegal.

To keep away from elimination, Graham Arnold’s aspect faces a monumental process: a draw or a win in opposition to a French aspect that has reached the final two World Cup finals.

France vs Iraq prediction

Les Bleus are the overwhelming favorites, in line with Stats supplier Opta’s supercomputer.

France has an 88.5 p.c likelihood of victory, in comparison with Iraq who has only a three p.c likelihood of pulling off a surprising win, in line with Opta.

Their supercomputer sees simply an 8.5 p.c likelihood of a draw at Boston Stadium on Monday.

Opta now predicts that France has one of the best likelihood of successful the World Cup, shifting them forward of Spain who have been the pre-tournament favourites.

France vs Iraq: Livestream, kickoff time

• France: beIN Sports and Groupe M6 (11pm, Central European Summer Time)
• Iraq: beIN Sports (12am on Tuesday, Arabia Standard Time)
• United Kingdom: BBC One and BBC iPlayer (10pm, British Summer Time)
• United States: Universo, FOX, FOX One, Telemundo App, Telemundo Network, Peacock (5pm, Eastern Daylight Time)

How does Group I stand?

Norway sit high of Group I on objective distinction after hammering Iraq 4-1 in Boston.

France are second, additionally on three factors, with Senegal and Iraq each with no factors and sitting third and fourth respectively.

The high two groups from every of the 12 teams – together with the eight finest third-placed groups – proceed to the subsequent section, the spherical of 32, which has been launched on the World Cup for the primary time.

Form information

(Last 5 video games, newest end result first)

France: WWLWW

Iraq: LLDWW

The French have received 5 of their final six matches, with their solely slip-up coming in opposition to Ivory Coast in a shock defeat in a World Cup warm-up.

Iraq, in the meantime, haven’t any wins in their final three matches after struggling back-to-back defeats to Norway and Venezuela.

Their final win got here in a pre-World Cup pleasant in opposition to Andorra in May.

France vs Iraq: Head-to-head

This is the primary time that the 2 sides have ever met in a global match.

Team information: France

Deschamps is ready to make a couple of small tweaks for this sport, with Barcola set to start out after coming off the bench in opposition to Senegal.

Digne and Kone are additionally tipped to start out for France on Monday.

Team information: Iraq

Ali Jasim is on the market to start out for Iraq after coming off in opposition to Norway with a knock.

Ahmed Basil may begin in objective in place of Jalal Hassan.

France predicted lineup:

Mike Maignan (goalkeeper); Jules Kounde, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, Lucas Digne; Adrien Rabiot, Manu Kone; Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola; Kylian Mbappe.

Iraq predicted lineup:

Ahmed Basil (goalkeeper); Hussein Ali, Zaid Tahseen, Akam Hashem, Merchas Doski; Ibrahim Bayesh, Amir Al-Ammari, Zidane Iqbal, Ali Jasim; Aymen Hussein, Ali Al-Hamadi.