Olise starts as number 10, Dembélé moved to right wing against Iraq

Michael Olise will start as number 10 against Iraq in France’s second group match at the 2026 World Cup on Monday evening at 11 p.m. Ousmane Dembélé, who started in that position against Senegal, will be repositioned on the right wing.

The decision has been made internally according to journalist Arthur Perrot: « Without surprise, Didier Deschamps and his staff want to see Michael Olise in the number 10 position instead of Ousmane Dembélé against Iraq. » This tactical change had already been made during the second half on Tuesday in New York, with an immediate effect on France’s play.

During a sluggish first half, the Blues struggled to build play against the Lions of Teranga. Olise’s repositioning to the heart of midfield at half-time transformed the match: the Bayern Munich attacking midfielder lit up the second half, contributing to a deserved 3-1 victory for Kylian Mbappé and his teammates.

Apart from this swap between Olise and Dembélé, Deschamps should field exactly the same starting eleven as against Senegal. The manager is therefore planning no other significant changes to face Iraq.