France vs Iraq prediction 22.06.2026 | World Cup

According to most pundits, France are among the teams with the best chances of winning the World Cup. Four years ago, Les Bleus fell just short in the final against Argentina, but now are determined to lift the most prestigious trophy in football for the third time in history. France were excellent in the previous few months, winning six of the previous seven matches. In the World Cup opening round, Deschamps' team won 3-1 against Senegal. Although France were far from convincing in the first half, they raised their level significantly after the break and comfortably secured all three points.

France's head coach, Didier Deschamps, was not fully satisfied with his team's victory a few days ago. He commented, "I am frank with my players. We ​didn't have the best first half; we could do better on many levels. I don't ‌shout, but I do give a piece of my mind; they have to make the right decisions."

France should have a full squad available for the upcoming clash. However, Deschamps could decide to rotate part of the team to keep them fresh. Rayan Cherki and Bradley Barcola are the primary candidates to start if the head coach decides to make a change.

For Iraq, being at the World Cup is already a big success, as they returned to the biggest stage after 40 years. Since the draw, it was clear that Iraq would have a tough time in Group I. In the opening round, Graham Arnold's team lost 4-1 against Norway. Iraq showed some offensive qualities in that game, and scoring at least once more wouldn't be a surprise, but eventually their defensive issues proved too great, and Arnold's team left empty-handed.

Iraq's head coach, Graham Arnold, still believes that his team could progress to the next phase. He said, "What we've got to focus on, obviously, I think three points will get you through to the next phase. We've got two more games to go. I thought the boys did exceptionally well in the first half, but a couple of mistakes hurt us badly."

Ali Jasim suffered a neck injury in the game against Norway, but it seems that he will be ready for the next match. Iraqi media reports that the striker Mohanad Ali will not recover in time and will skip the upcoming clash.