France vs Iraq prediction

France are built exactly for this kind of fixture. Elite squad depth, Mbappé leading the line, and a pressing and transition game that systematically dismantles any side that tries to sit deep. Iraq will absolutely try to park the bus — that's not a guess, it's the only realistic gameplan available to them at this level. The venue at Lincoln Financial Field offers Iraq no home comforts, and the step up in class is brutal. Their counter-threat is limited against the kind of defensive line France will push up, and any set-piece hope feels like wishful thinking against a side with this much experience at tournament level. The one honest caveat: this market settles on normal time only, so a stubborn 0-0 or a late equaliser would flip the result. That scenario is real — France know the pain of a minnow grinding out a draw. But Iraq are not set up to nick goals; they're set up to survive, and that's a different and harder task against attackers of this quality. France have too many ways to break the lock open. Back them to get it done inside 90 minutes — the class gap is simply too wide for Iraq to bridge.