France aims to secure a spot in the last 32 of the World Cup 2026 with a game to spare as they face Iraq in Philadelphia on Monday evening in their second Group I match. In their tournament opener, Les Bleus managed to overcome Senegal with a 3-1 victory, while Iraq suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat against Norway. This has led to France being widely regarded as the favorites for this upcoming match across various betting platforms. The tournament has seen established stars like Kylian Mbappe shine, further etching his name in football history. During the match against Senegal, he not only became the highest male goal scorer for France, surpassing Olivier Giroud, but also broke Just Fontaine’s record for the most World Cup goals by a French player. Despite nearly 100 million fans petitioning for Mbappe's departure from Real Madrid, he remains a key player under coach Didier Deschamps, with the team just one win away from early qualification for the knockout stage. Currently, France sits in second place in the group due to Norway's superior goal difference over Iraq. Additionally, the team has struggled defensively, failing to keep a clean sheet in their last six matches after conceding to Senegal. However, France's offensive prowess has been notable, scoring in 14 consecutive matches, with multiple goals in 13 of those games, showcasing their attacking strength. This goal-scoring ability poses a significant threat to Iraq, who conceded four goals to a Norway team led by Erling Haaland in their first match. Despite the loss, Iraq's head coach Graham Arnold expressed pride in his team's effort, particularly after Aymen Hussein's equalizer briefly leveled the score.