Deschamps may shuffle France lineup for Iraq, with one star possibly benched

France meet Iraq on Monday night in the second round of the 2026 World Cup, and Les Bleus are hoping for another win to secure a place in the next stage. Ahead of the match, French reports say coach Didier Deschamps is considering several changes to the starting XI.

Bradley Barcola, who came off the bench and scored in France’s opening match, is expected to start in place of Desire Doue. Lucas Digne could replace Theo Hernandez at left back. Another change may be forced, as Aurelien Tchouameni has not trained with the rest of the squad over the past two days.

If Tchouameni does not pass a late fitness test, Manu Kone, the Roma midfielder, would take his place. Deschamps said before the game: “People are saying this is an easy game, that the only question is how many goals we will score. I made it clear to the players that we are coming to a difficult match, and we have to come to win and secure qualification for the next stage. We are all alert.”

Captain Kylian Mbappe also previewed the match, saying: “We need to win and qualify for the next stage. Of course I like and want to score goals, that is my job, but the team’s success is more important than anything.” He was also asked about Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele’s underwhelming form for the national team and rejected the criticism, saying Dembele was “the best player on the pitch” against Senegal, especially in the first half, and would be very important if France want to win the tournament.