Jean-Philippe Mateta and Maxence Lacroix have already had the call-up. Now comes the wait for the moment that would make Crystal Palace’s France contingent feel fully part of this World Cup.
France face Iraq in Philadelphia tonight, Monday 22 June, and the fixture arrives with a clear Palace edge. Both Mateta and Lacroix were unused substitutes when Didier Deschamps’ side beat Senegal 3-1 in their Group I opener, according to Crystal Palace’s official World Cup player tracker. With France looking to move closer to the knockouts and rotation always a factor in a 48-team tournament, this is the first real opening for either player to turn squad recognition into World Cup minutes.
France’s strong start changes the Palace calculation
The first game told Palace supporters two things. France remain stacked with elite attacking options, but the scoreline also gave Deschamps room to think about the bigger picture. Kylian Mbappe scored twice against Senegal, Bradley Barcola was also on target, and former Palace forward Michael Olise started in attack. That is a brutal depth chart for Mateta to break into.
Yet the same strength can help him. If France take control against Iraq, Deschamps has an obvious incentive to manage minutes before the final group match against Norway on Friday, 26 June. For Mateta, that could mean a late role as a penalty-box reference point rather than a symbolic cameo. He has earned his place in this squad through the kind of centre-forward work Palace fans know well: contact, movement across the line, and the willingness to occupy defenders so others can attack space.
Lacroix’s route is different but just as relevant. France’s tournament will not be won by their front line alone, and games against lower-block opponents can still demand recovery pace, concentration and clean distribution from centre-back. Lacroix offers all three. If France are protecting a lead, his profile makes sense. If Deschamps wants to preserve senior legs, it makes sense again.
Why this matters beyond one group game
Palace already have a major World Cup storyline through Daichi Kamada, who has scored in both of Japan’s opening group matches, a run covered in ReadCrystalPalace’s latest Kamada World Cup update. Chris Richards has also played every minute for the United States so far, while Daniel Munoz struck for Colombia and Chadi Riad has impressed for Morocco. The club’s tournament presence is no longer just a nice badge of honour; it is becoming a live measure of how far the squad has travelled.
That is why France v Iraq matters even before team sheets land. Mateta and Lacroix are not peripheral names at Selhurst Park. Mateta’s rise has been central to Palace’s recent attacking identity, and Lacroix’s defensive profile gives Pierre Sage a platform to build from when the squad returns from international duty. World Cup minutes would add another layer of authority to both players’ summers.
There is also a practical edge for Sage. Palace are heading into a season with European football on the calendar and a squad that will need players accustomed to high-pressure, quick-turnaround football. Even substitute minutes in a World Cup group game can sharpen that rhythm. For a new manager assessing who can carry responsibility, tournament involvement is useful evidence.
The Palace watchpoint in Philadelphia
The cleanest Palace angle is not whether Mateta or Lacroix start. That would be a surprise. The sharper question is whether France create the game state that lets Deschamps use them.
FIFA’s match centre for France v Iraq lists the Philadelphia fixture as France’s second Group I assignment, while Palace’s own tracker confirms Mateta and Lacroix are still waiting for their finals debuts. ReadCrystalPalace’s full Crystal Palace World Cup schedule also underlines how quickly the Eagles’ tournament storylines are arriving. That makes tonight’s selection more than routine squad management for Eagles supporters.
If one of them gets on, it will be another marker of Palace’s unusually visible tournament. If both do, it would be a small but meaningful moment for a club now watching its players influence the World Cup from several different angles.
Palace on the international stage. Catch up on all the international action here.
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) June 3, 2026
