France defender William Saliba has revealed he has been managing persistent pain for several months but remains motivated by the chance to achieve World Cup success. The 25-year-old Arsenal player was a key figure in his club’s historic Premier League title win this season, their first in 22 years, and narrowly missed out on a Champions League triumph after Arsenal were defeated on penalties by Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
Saliba spoke ahead of France's upcoming World Cup group stage match against Iraq on Monday, acknowledging that while he is not fully fit, the unique nature of the tournament demands perseverance. “I’ve had some minor niggles for several months,” he said. “I’ve been gritting my teeth because there was the Champions League and the Premier League. But the coaching staff are handling it very well. The World Cup comes round only once every four years, so you’ve got to grit your teeth. I’m not at 100%, but there are plenty of players who aren’t at 100 per cent either—you can’t make excuses.”
France entered the tournament as one of the favorites and opened their campaign with a 3-1 win over Senegal. The match was tightly contested until Kylian Mbappé broke the deadlock in the 66th minute and added a stoppage-time goal to complete his brace. That second goal also made Mbappé France’s all-time leading scorer with 58 goals, surpassing Olivier Giroud. On Monday, the 27-year-old is set to earn his 100th international cap and could further his pursuit of the World Cup scoring record, currently held jointly by Miroslav Klose and Lionel Messi with 16 goals.
Statistically, France are in strong scoring form, having found the net in each of their last 14 matches, with multiple goals recorded in 13 of those games. Meanwhile, Iraq suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to Norway, a result that cost France the top spot in Group I. The Iraqi team—still seeking their first point in World Cup history after four matches—has scored nine goals in its last 11 outings.
Despite their attacking capability, France have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last six games, an issue coach Didier Deschamps may address in Monday’s lineup. Reports suggest potential changes could include the introduction of Lucas Digne, Manu Koné, and Randal Kolo Muani, known as Barcola, who scored after coming off the bench during the Senegal match. Iraq’s Ali Jasim, who was withdrawn due to a knock against Norway, has reportedly been declared fit to play.