Mbappé at press conference and confirmed starter against Iraq

Kylian Mbappé will start and be present at the press conference on Sunday evening at 21:30, ahead of France’s second World Cup match against Iraq. A notable change of schedule for the French captain, who was spared by Didier Deschamps before France-Senegal to avoid a long trip to MetLife Stadium.

Before the opening victory against Senegal (3-1), it was N’Golo Kanté who had replaced Mbappé at the microphone. This time, the move from Boston to Philadelphia poses no particular constraint, and France’s all-time leading goalscorer returns to his media obligations alongside the manager. The players will then train from 23:00 onwards.

On the sporting side, Deschamps should limit rotation for this second match, with only three changes compared to the lineup fielded against Senegal: Lucas Digne, Manu Koné and Bradley Barcola would enter the starting XI in place of Theo Hernandez, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Désiré Doué.

On paper the most accessible opponent in the group, Iraq must not lower the guard for the Blues. Deschamps intends to fine-tune his first-choice team before facing Norway on matchday three, four days later. Maintaining rhythm and automatisms therefore takes priority over managing effort.