Didier Deschamps Sticks to Winning Formula for Iraq Match

Didier Deschamps is not in the mood for experiments. According to L’Équipe, the France coach is expected to stick closely to the side that brushed aside Senegal 3-1 in their FIFA World Cup opener as Les Bleus turn their attention to Iraq on Monday evening.

Deschamps trusts his winning formula

France needed time to find their stride against Senegal. The first half was flat, short on tempo and ideas, and Deschamps made his feelings clear in the dressing room. The response was emphatic.

His players came back out with edge and aggression, pushed higher up the pitch and began to pin Les Lions de la Teranga back. Three goals later, the contest was finished and the tone of France’s tournament had been set.

That second‑half surge now shapes his thinking. L’Équipe reports that Deschamps is unlikely to make any “major” changes, a sign of how much he values continuity once a framework clicks into place. The message is simple: earn the shirt, keep the shirt.

Near full squad, no fresh alarms

The medical bulletin only strengthens that stance. France emerged from the Senegal win without any new fitness concerns, a rare luxury in a World Cup group stage where games come thick and fast.

Malo Gusto and William Saliba are both receiving treatment for existing fitness issues, but their situations are described as individual management rather than fresh setbacks. Crucially, nothing serious appears to have arisen from the opening match, leaving Deschamps with almost his entire squad at his disposal.

So the stage is set. A settled XI, confidence from a ruthless second half, and an Iraq side next in line to test whether this version of Les Bleus can turn one powerful performance into a sustained World Cup charge.