A favorite with vulnerabilities: prediction for France vs Iraq - 23.06.2026
One of the matches in the second round of the World Cup group stage will take place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, where France will face Iraq. After their victory over Senegal, the French have a great chance to take a significant step toward the playoffs, while Iraq, following a loss to Norway, will be searching for opportunities—even against one of the tournament favorites.
France: Attack delivers, but first half leaves questions
France opened with a 3-1 win over Senegal, but the match was far less straightforward than the scoreline suggests. Didier Deschamps’ side struggled to find their usual rhythm in the first half, with Ousmane Dembélé often dropping deep just to get a touch of the ball. The breakthrough came after a tactical switch: Michael Olise moved closer to the center, and the "Blues" attack finally became much sharper.
Kylian Mbappé once again took center stage, reaffirming his status as the team’s talisman. Yet Olise’s contributions were crucial as well - his movement and passes between the lines helped unlock Senegal’s compact defense. Despite the attacking power, Mike Maignan looked the least convincing, though it’s unlikely Deschamps will make radical changes to his lineup.
Iraq: Heavy defeat, but not a hopeless performance
Iraq fell 1-4 to Norway, but the "Lions of Mesopotamia" actually played better than the final score suggests. Graham Arnold’s team tried to stay compact, narrow the field, and apply man-to-man pressure in midfield. The plan was simple, but at times it worked; the collapse was largely due to individual mistakes.
In attack, Iraq showed signs of life as well. Ali Yaseen and Ibrahim Bayesh were effective down the flanks, Aymen Hussein got on the scoresheet, and Amir Al-Ammari was among the team’s most creative players. Against France, Iraq will almost certainly have to defend deep again, but the space left behind France’s aggressive full-backs could open up opportunities for counterattacks.
Probable line-ups
- France: Maignan, Hernandez, Saliba, Upamecano, Koundé, Tchouaméni, Rabiot, Barcola, Olise, Dembélé, Mbappé.
- Iraq: Gassan Hakim, Ali, Younis, Tahsin, Hashim, Doski, Bayesh, Ismail, Al-Ammari, Yaseen, Hussein.
Match facts and head-to-head
- France beat Senegal 3-1 in their opening match.
- Iraq started the tournament with a 1-4 loss to Norway.
- In four of France’s last six official matches and in five of Iraq’s last eight, both teams have scored.
Class will tell, but clean sheet unlikely: prediction for France vs Iraq
France are clearly superior in squad depth and attacking options. Even if they start slowly again, Deschamps has plenty of tactical tools to adjust: Olise can operate between the lines, Dembélé can stretch the defense, and Mbappé can punish any open space. For Iraq, this is as tough as it gets.
But it would be unwise to totally rule out a goal from the underdog. France have consistently conceded: since last September, they have kept just two clean sheets in ten matches, and the attacking runs of Theo Hernandez and Jules Koundé often leave space for opponents to exploit. Iraq might take advantage of one of these moments, but holding back the French attack for the full 90 minutes is a tall order.
