France will square off against Iraq for a Matchday 2 Group I showdown at the 2026 World Cup on Monday, June 22, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. With Les Bleus aiming to put one foot in the knockout stage, whether forward Kylian Mbappe will anchor the starting lineup remains the focal point for fans and media alike.
Mbappe has been included in the starting XI for the clash against the Iraq. The captain logged a complete 90 minutes in the tournament opener against Senegal, scoring a dominant brace to fuel a 3-1 victory and participating fully in all subsequent tactical training sessions.
The French side enters Monday’s match sitting comfortably atop Group I following their convincing multi-goal debut performance. Conversely, Iraq is desperate for a rebound after suffering a bruising 4-1 loss to Norway, a match completely dominated by a parallel multi-goal display from Erling Haaland.
A victory alone won’t mathematically lock up the group’s top seed for France, but it serves as a massive step toward their ultimate objective. If Didier Deschamps’ squad handles business against Iraq and Norway ties Senegal in the other group fixture, Mbappe’s side will officially book their ticket to the Round of 32 as group winners.
Kylian Mbappe #10 of France warms up during a training session.
Mbappe chases international goalscoring milestones
Following his clinical two-goal performance against Senegal, Mbappe drew level with legendary marksman Just Fontaine as France’s all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. At just 27 years old, the forward is primed to continue climbing the global charts as he chases the tournament’s ultimate benchmarks.
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How France’s win, draw, or loss vs Iraq could impact the 2026 World Cup Group I standings
Mbappe is ultimately tracking the historic standard set by Lionel Messi, who currently commands the all-time tournament lead with 18 career World Cup goals. With France heavily favored to dictate the tempo against Iraq, Mbappe will look to aggressively expand on his own impressive baseline of 14 tournament goals.
Confirmed lineups for France and Iraq
France’s confirmed lineup (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan; Jules Kounde, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, Lucas Digne; Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot; Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola; Kylian Mbappe.
Head coach: Didier Deschamps.
Iraq’s confirmed lineup (4-2-3-1): Ahmed Basil; Hussein Ali, Zaid Tahseen, Akam Hashem, Merchas Doski; Amir Al Ammari, Zaid Ismail; Ibrahim Bayesh, Zidane Iqbal, Ahmed Qasem; Aymen Hussein.
Head coach: Graham Arnold.
