Three group stage fixtures land on Monday 22 June, with Argentina v Austria at AT&T Stadium the standout clash of the day. The headline selection calls: Messi stays in Argentina's 4-4-2, Mbappé leads France's attack against Iraq, and both New Zealand and Egypt reprise their opening-day XIs.
New Zealand v Egypt
With no injuries to force changes on either side, the key question is whether either coach tinkers after what the match data from the group opener tells them — and we see no compelling reason for either to do so.
New Zealand (4-2-3-1)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | M. Crocombe |
| RB | T. Payne |
| CB | F. Surman |
| CB | M. Boxall |
| LB | L. Cacace |
| DM | J. Bell |
| DM | M. Stamenic |
| RM | C. McCowatt |
| AM | S. Singh |
| LM | E. Just |
| ST | C. Wood |
Egypt (4-2-3-1)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | Mostafa Shobeir |
| RB | Mohamed Hany |
| CB | Yasser Ibrahim |
| CB | Hamdi Fathy |
| LB | Ahmed Fatouh |
| DM | Marwan Attia |
| DM | Mohanad Lasheen |
| RM | Mostafa Zico |
| AM | Mohamed Salah |
| LM | Emam Ashour |
| ST | Omar Marmoush |
The biggest x-factor is whether Mohamed Salah, operating in the advanced midfield role behind Marmoush, can find the pockets of space that New Zealand's double pivot will be tasked with closing.
Argentina v Austria
Two sides carrying perfect records into this fixture make for an unmissable contest, and the selection question for Scaloni is straightforward: the 4-4-2 that dismantled Algeria gets no reason to change.
Argentina (4-4-2)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | E. Martínez |
| RB | G. Montiel |
| CB | C. Romero |
| CB | Lisandro Martínez |
| LB | F. Medina |
| RM | R. De Paul |
| CM | A. Mac Allister |
| CM | E. Fernández |
| LM | T. Almada |
| ST | L. Messi |
| ST | Lautaro Martínez |
Austria (4-2-3-1)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | A. Schlager |
| RB | S. Posch |
| CB | P. Lienhart |
| CB | D. Alaba |
| LB | P. Mwene |
| DM | N. Seiwald |
| DM | X. Schlager |
| RM | R. Schmid |
| AM | M. Sabitzer |
| LM | K. Laimer |
| ST | S. Kalajdzic |
The biggest selection doubt for Austria is whether Kalajdzic can hold the line physically against Romero and Lisandro Martínez, because if he cannot bring others into play, Sabitzer will find himself isolated in the space between the lines.
France v Iraq
Didier Deschamps has no injury concerns to manage, and the 4-2-3-1 that beat Senegal in the opener was convincing enough to reprise without alteration.
France (4-2-3-1)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | M. Maignan |
| RB | J. Koundé |
| CB | D. Upamecano |
| CB | W. Saliba |
| LB | T. Hernández |
| DM | A. Tchouaméni |
| DM | A. Rabiot |
| RM | M. Olise |
| AM | O. Dembélé |
| LM | D. Doué |
| ST | Kylian Mbappé |
Iraq (4-4-2)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | Jalal Hassan Hachim |
| RB | Hussein Ali |
| CB | Zayed Tahseen |
| CB | Mustafa Saadoun |
| LB | Merchas Doski |
| RM | Ibraheem Bayesh |
| CM | Z. Ismaeel |
| CM | Amir Al Ammari |
| LM | A. Jasim |
| ST | Aymen Hussein |
| ST | Ali Al Hamadi |
Note: the previous XI listed a player coded as A. Hashem at centre-back, who does not appear in the confirmed squad list; we have replaced that slot with Mustafa Saadoun, the most like-for-like option available from the registered defenders.
The biggest x-factor for Iraq is Ali Al Hamadi, whose direct running and aerial ability represent the most credible threat to a French backline that Saliba and Upamecano otherwise make look impenetrable.
This article was researched and drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team.