Messi Breaks World Cup Scoring Record, France Prepares for Iraq Battle

Three changes have been made to the French squad from their previous match against Senegal.

Veteran left-back Lucas Digne replaces Theo Hernandez, while midfielder Manu Koné starts ahead of Aurélien Tchouaméni. In attack, Bradley Barcola is selected over PSG teammate Désiré Doué. Barcola's versatility could see Ousmane Dembélé shift to the left wing. Kylian Mbappé is expected to lead the line, with Michael Olise playing in an advanced midfield role.

France boasts a strong reserve of talent, including Manchester City's Rayan Cherki, Inter Milan's Marcus Thuram, and 2018 World Cup winner N'Golo Kanté.

For Iraq manager Graham Arnold, this match presents his toughest challenge. Arnold led the 'Lions of Mesopotamia' to their first World Cup appearance since 1986 and is a popular figure in Iraq. This is not his first encounter with France on the world stage; Australia, under his management, lost 4-1 to France in the 2022 World Cup, despite an early lead. Australia did advance from their group in Qatar before being eliminated by Argentina.

France is the overwhelming favorite for their second World Cup Group I game against Iraq. However, France defender William Saliba stated that the team is bracing for a significant battle. France, the 2022 finalists and 2018 champions, currently has three points after a 3-1 win over Senegal. Iraq lost their opener 4-1 to Norway despite a strong start.

"They [Iraq] have a good team, and it will not be easy even if people think it might be," Saliba told reporters on Saturday. "They qualified, they beat Bolivia to earn their spot, they drew with Spain, and we expect a great battle."

Iraq, who drew 1-1 with Spain in a friendly prior to the tournament, has never won a World Cup match, having lost all three group games in their only previous appearance in 1986. They secured their spot in this tournament through a lengthy qualification process, including a 2-1 playoff win against Bolivia in March.

"I think it will be a very intense match," added France defender Lucas Digne. "They are playing to stay in the competition, and so it will be a very physical match. We know the system they will use with their 4-4-2 and their forwards. It will be a very direct match, and we need to be ready for that."

In a separate match, Lionel Messi became the World Cup's all-time leading scorer during Argentina's 2-0 victory over Austria in Group J, confirming their progression to the last 32.

Messi scored in the 38th and 95th minutes, bringing his World Cup total to 18 goals. This surpassed Germany's Miroslav Klose, making him the all-time leading scorer in men's World Cup history. His tally also now exceeds Marta's 17 goals in the women's tournament.

The Inter Miami player, approaching his 39th birthday, has scored four goals in two matches so far. He missed a penalty in the eighth minute, his third World Cup penalty miss of his career. Messi had matched Klose's record with a hat-trick against Algeria.

Argentina's first goal was orchestrated by Thiago Almada, who passed to Facundo Medina. After Almada let the ball roll through his legs, an unmarked Messi scored calmly. Messi also nearly set up Nico Gonzalez for a second goal.

The second goal came in stoppage time. Julian Alvarez's shot was saved, but Messi scored on the rebound after his initial attempt was blocked.

While Argentina secured their qualification with a steady performance, the spotlight is firmly on Lionel Messi's historic achievement. His first goal was a characteristic curling effort from the edge of the area, and his second demonstrated perseverance through a crowded defense. These accomplishments followed his earlier penalty miss, marking a special day for the player.