William Saliba is expecting a difficult game when France take on Iraq in Philadelphia tomorrow.Les Bleus, World Cup winners in 2018 and runners-up in 2022, made an impressive start to the tournament by defeating Senegal 3-1 with a performance that got better as the game went on.Kylian Mbappe scored twice and Michael Olise ran the midfield in the second half to hand Didier Deschamps men a winning start in Group I.Iraq opened with a 4-1 defeat to Norway that underlined their status as the weakest team in the pool.France are odds-on favourites to see off Graham Arnolds men but Arsenal centre-half Saliba is expecting a difficult game against a team that had to come through the Play-Off Tournament to qualify.Weve watched some of the videos from their game against Norway and I think they have a good team, he said. It wont be easy, even if people think that because were playing Iraq well automatically get the three points.Saliba has been struggling with a back injury but is expected to retain his place at the heart of the France defence.Ive had some minor niggles for several months. Ive been gritting my teeth because there was the Champions League and the Premier League, he added.But the coaching staff are handling it very well.The World Cup comes round only once every four years, so youve got to grit your teeth. Im not at 100%, but there are plenty of players who arent at 100% either you cant make excuses.Table of ContentsTeam news for France v IraqPredicted line-ups for France v IraqWhere to watch France v Iraq: TV and online streamsStats for France v IraqPrediction for France v IraqResponsible GamblingTeam news for France v IraqFrance may make three changes with Bradley Barcola, who also scored against Senegal, set to replace PSG team-mate Desire Doue and Lucas Digne coming in at left-back at the expense of Theo Hernandez. Aurelien Tchouameni could be dropped to the bench with Manu Kon starting alongside Adrien Rabiot in midfield.Iraq goalkeeper Jamal Hassan is likely to be left out after a poor display against Norway with Ahmed Basil set to come into the starting XI.Predicted line-ups for France v IraqFrance: Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Digne; Rabiot, Kone; Dembele, Olise, Barcola; MbappeIraq: Basil; Ali, Tahseen, Hashem, Doski; Bayesh, Al-Ammari, Iqbal, Ali Jasim; Hussein, Al-HamadiWhere to watch France v Iraq: TV and online streamsFrance v Iraq kicks off tomorrow night at 10pm UK time. You can watch it on BBC 1 and stream via the iPlayer.ClickHEREfor a full World Cup TV guideStats for France v IraqFrance have won 10 of their last 12 gamesFrance have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last six gamesIraq have not won any of their last three gamesAymen Husseins goal and own goal against Norway saw him become just the third man to score at both ends in a World Cup gamePrediction for France v IraqFrance will have too much for Iraq, who will battle hard but ultimately lack the quality to trouble Les Bleus.Expect Olise and Mbappe to cause havoc.Prediction: France 4-0 IraqResponsible GamblingGambling should always be approached as entertainment, not as a way to generate income. If you ever feel that gambling is becoming a problem, there are several organisations you can contact for free, confidential support.National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133 (free, 8 am to midnight, 7 days a week)GamCare: www.gamcare.org.ukGambleAware: gambleaware.orgGamStop: www.gamstop.co.uk (free self-exclusion service)Tools available through bet365 include deposit limits, session time reminders, loss limits, self-exclusion and Reality Checks. These can be accessed via the Safer Gambling section of your account at any time. 18+ only. Please gamble responsibly. Topics France National Football Team iraq national football team Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read World Cup 2026: Full list of confirmed teams, fixtures, groups and results Ben Miller 21st June, 2026 Kylian Mbappe: World Cup 2026 playing schedule, fixtures, kick off times, where to watch, confirmed news updates and full France squad Ben Miller 17th June, 2026 FIFA World Cup 2026: Full France fixtures, results, schedule, confirmed squad, next match, kick off times Ben Miller 17th June, 2026 Haaland issues World Cup verdict on Kane and Mbappe: Thats the reality Ben Miller 17th June, 2026 Iraq 1-4 Norway: Report, result and goals as Haaland brace helps Landslaget to World Cup win Mitch Fretton 17th June, 2026 WATCH: Haaland bags first World Cup goal before Iraq hit back against Norway Mitch Fretton 16th June, 2026
