The 2026 World Cup will have 13 different kickoff times. You can use the Al Jazeera Sport widget to find out exactly when your team is playing in your local 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 follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 18:00 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4World Cup knockouts: Who has made it to the round of 32 stage?list 2 of 4Trump official says Iran World Cup visa approval ‘amazing’list 3 of 4Ueda’s brace helps Japan knock Tunisia out of World Cup 2026list 4 of 4World Cup: Messi back in action as Argentina take on Austria in Dallasend of listFrance are one win away from safely navigating the World Cup “group of death,” with Les Bleus looking to take all three points to secure Round of 32 qualification against Iraq in Boston.Two goals from Kylian Mbappe helped France recover from a shaky first half in their opening match against Senegal in New Jersey, with Didier Deschamps’ side eventually running out 3-1 winners.Iraq, featuring at the World Cup for the first time since 1986, are looking to bounce back from a heavy 4-1 defeat in their opening group game against Norway.All you need to know before France vs Iraq:Superstar Kylian Mbappe (#10) celebrates scoring France’s third goal against Senegal [Dylan Martinez/Reuters]France go through the gearsIt’s hard to avoid reaching for the “game of two halves” cliche to describe France’s win over Senegal on Tuesday.Les Bleus were a shadow of themselves in the first half, with a number of star players failing to perform up to expectations on the pitch.But the Qatar 2022 finalists were in another league in the second half, with Real Madrid’s Mbappe scoring two brilliant goals as he became France’s all-time top scorer.Substitute Bradley Barcola made an instant impact off the bench, scoring his first-ever World Cup goal just two minutes after coming on, highlighting the depth of star talent available to Deschamps.France may tweak, not tinker, for Iraq clashDeschamps has often favoured stability at major tournaments and is unlikely to deviate from that approach, despite an enviable range of options in his playing squad.The most likely changes are expected on the left flank, with Barcola set to replace Desire Doue in attack and Lucas Digne in line to come in for Theo Hernandez at left back.Another adjustment could come in midfield.Deschamps has held lengthy discussions with Manu Kone in recent days and the 25-year-old was paired with Adrien Rabiot during training this week, suggesting he could be handed a starting role.Iraq’s Aymen Hussein (#18) looks dejected after scoring Norway’s fourth with an own goal at Boston Stadium on June 16 [Winslow Townson/Imagn Images via Reuters]Iraq face another huge challengeThe Lions of Mesopotamia were the final team to book their place at the 2026 World Cup, following a gruelling campaign which saw them play a record number of qualifiers.Their reward was a spot in Group I, which many experts believe is the most difficult of the 12 at the tournament.After a 4-1 humbling against Norway, Iraq now face Qatar 2022 runners-up France before their final group game against African Cup of Nations (AFCON) finalists Senegal.To avoid elimination, Graham Arnold’s side face a monumental task: a draw or a win against a French side that has reached the last two World Cup finals.France vs Iraq predictionLes Bleus are the overwhelming favourites, according to Stats provider Opta’s supercomputer.France have an 88.5 percent chance of victory, compared to Iraq who have just a three percent chance of pulling off a stunning win, according to Opta.Their supercomputer sees just an 8.5 percent chance of a draw at Boston Stadium on Monday.Opta now predicts that France has the best chance of winning the World Cup, moving them ahead of Spain who were the pre-tournament favourites.(Al Jazeera)France vs Iraq: Livestream, kickoff time
