Tournament favorites France take on Iraq in a 2026 FIFA World Cup match at Philadelphia Stadium on Monday. Group I is considered one of the most competitive in the showpiece tournament, with Senegal and Norway completing the quartet.
France are full of confidence and belief after successfully negotiating a tricky opening match against Senegal, emerging as 3-1 winners at New York New Jersey Stadium on Tuesday, 16 June.
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After a goalless first half, Les Bleus star Kylian Mbappe stole the show with his second-half brace. The Real Madrid player’s second goal in the 96th minute, in particular, was a stunner from distance, while Bradley Barcola added his finishing touch to score in the 82nd minute.
Ibrahim Mbaye’s goal in the 95th minute proved to be nothing more than a consolation goal for the Teranga Lions.
That victory puts France in a good position, second in Group I (due to goal difference) but tied on points with leaders Norway. Iraq and Senegal have no points yet.
Meanwhile, Iraq fell to a 4-1 loss against Norway at Boston Stadium on Tuesday, 16 June. Manchester City striker Erling Haaland opened the scoring in the 29th minute, but Iraq found an equalizer through Aymen Hussein 10 minutes later.
Haaland scored his second in the 43rd minute to put the Scandinavians back in the lead, and it was all Norway after that, with Leo Ostigard netting in the 76th minute before Hussein turned from hero to villain with an own goal six minutes into stoppage time.
The Lions of Mesopotamia will be disappointed to have conceded four goals in the opener, with the result relegating them to the bottom of the table on goal difference, although they are tied on zero points with Senegal.
After this match, France will go on to face Norway in what will most certainly be an entertaining encounter, while Iraq will take on Senegal in their final group-stage matches on Friday, 26 June.
France vs Iraq head-to-head stats and key numbers
- France and Iraq have never met in an international football match, so this will be the start of their head-to-head record.
- Iraq have qualified for the World Cup twice, including the current tournament, while France are playing in their 18th World Cup.
- Les Bleus have won the World Cup twice, in 1998 and 2018, and they were runners-up to Argentina at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
France vs Iraq prediction
Iraq are making their first World Cup appearance in 40 years, and that in itself is a great achievement, but being competitive against potential tournament champions will be challenging.
France will likely dominate possession and use the pace of their supremely talented attackers, including the likes of Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Michael Olise, to break through the Lions of Mesopotamia’s backline. Iraq are expected to adopt a compact defensive structure and counterattack whenever they win back the ball, but the possession stats are not likely to be in their favor.
We expect this match to produce a comfortable victory for the French, with Iraq struggling to create meaningful chances.
Prediction: France 4-0 Iraq
France vs Iraq betting tips
Tip 1: France to win
Tip 2: France to keep a clean sheet
Tip 3: Over 2.5 goals
Edited by Peter Pedroncelli