Iraq vs. France Odds, Picks & Predictions - Group I, 06/22
The second round of matches of group play in the 2026 World Cup continues with a Group I matchup as Iraq takes on France Monday afternoon and we have you covered with our Iraq vs. France prediction. Iraq opened up group play as they fell 4-1 to Norway in their previous contest Tuesday. France downed Senegal 3-1 in their group play opener Tuesday in their previous contest. This marks the first time that the two sides have met in World Cup play. Let’s break down this Iraq vs. France matchup.
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Iraq Hoping to Earn Upset Victory
Iraq had a long and winding road to earn the 48th and final spot in the World Cup. They played a staggering 21 matches in qualifying, capped by a 2-1 win over Bolivia in the inter-confederation playoffs March 31. The Lions of Mesopotamia make their second all-time World Cup appearance here and their first since 1986. Iraq enters this contest seeking their first World Cup victory here. They dropped their four previous contests, getting outscored by a margin of 8-2, after falling to Norway in their group play opener. Iraq enters the World Cup ranked 57th in the FIFA world rankings.
Against Norway, Iraq made it competitive for much of the first half before things unraveled en route to the loss. The Lions of Mesopotamia lost the possession battle by more than a three-to-two margin in the match. In addition, Iraq fell 12-11 in shot attempts and 5-1 in shots on goal in the match. During the first half, the Lions of Mesopotamia fell behind as they gave up a goal in the 29th minute of play. Iraq knotted the score in the 39th minute on an Aymen Hussein header. Amir Al Ammar assisted on the marker on a cross. They gave up the go-ahead goal four minutes later and trailed 2-1 at intermission. In the second half, Iraq gave up a goal to trail 3-1 and then closed the scoring when they gave up an own goal in stoppage time.
Jalal Hassan projects for his second World Cup appearance in this contest for the Lions of Mesopotamia. That comes off his debut showing against Norway. He made 23 appearances, 22 starts, for Iraq in World Cup qualifying. Hassan owns a record of 15 wins, four draws and three losses in those outings. He recorded 13 clean sheets in those contests.
France Trying to Take Next Step to Qualifying for Knockout Round
France easily earned their way into the World Cup as they won UEFA qualification Group D with a mark of five wins, one draw and no losses. Les Bleus outscored the opposition by a margin of 16-4 en route to earning their berth. France logs their 17th World Cup appearance this year and their eighth consecutive. Les Bleus reached the title game in both 2018 and 2022, winning the former and falling in penalties in the latter. France owns a record of 40 wins, 14 draws and 20 losses in World Cup play after their win over Senegal. Les Bleus entered the World Cup ranked third in the FIFA rankings.
Against Senegal, France controlled most of the match and some late offense carried them to victory. Les Bleus held a 53.4% to 46.6% advantage in terms of possession in the match. In addition, France owned an 11-6 margin in shot attempts and an 8-2 advantage in shots on goal in the match. Les Bleus were outplayed much of the first half and caught a break when a Senegal scoring opportunity clanged the post in the 25th minute. That sent the match to the half scoreless. In the second half, France turned up the offensive pressure and it paid dividends. Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring in the 66th minute, assisted by a through ball by Michael Olise. Bradley Barcola made it a 2-0 score in the 82nd minute, assisted by a through ball by Andre Rabiot.
France saw their lead halved during stoppage time when Senegal got on the board. Les Bleus restored their two-goal margin a minute later as Mbappé scored his second of the match. That marker, in the sixth minute of stoppage time, closed the scoring. Mike Maignan makes his second World Cup appearance between the sticks for France in this contest. He posted a record of four wins, one draw and no losses in five starts in World Cup qualifying. Maignan turned in three clean sheets in those contests. Make sure you keep track of the France World Cup odds as they progress through the tournament.
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Iraq faded in the second half down the stretch against Norway in their group play opener. They conceded a pair of goals in the final 25 minutes and now have to contend with France’s attack. Les Bleus have arguably the best depth in the tournament and can attack relentlessly. France has the weapons to attack Iraq and make life tough for the Lions of Mesopotamia. Les Bleus shouldn’t get off to a slow start again as they did in their first group match. Therefore, look for this match to be rather one-sided as France rolls to the victory.
Our Prediction: France -2.5 (DraftKings, -135)
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