Why Is Aurélien Tchouaméni Not Playing Today for France vs Iraq at the World Cup?

France will be playing against Iraq and is a win away from reaching the knockout stages. France is the heavy favorite to win the match today and the tournament as a whole.

France came from beating Senegal 3-1 last week at the New York/ New Jersey Stadium and is currently at the top of Group I.

For the match today, France's head coach, Didier Deschamps, made three changes to the previous lineup against Senegal, including the exclusion of the midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni.

Tchouaméni started in the previous match and is with the team today, as he was seen warming up with the rest of the players.

Is Aurélien Tchouaméni Injured?

Aurélien Tchouaméni is not injured and is available to play the match today against Iraq. The midfielder is on the bench and could get minutes.

Days before the match, it was reported that Aurélien Tchouaméni missed a training session. Tchouaméni didn't train with the squad yesterday, and Deschamps hinted at making changes to his team.

Deschamps said, "It's about management... All the players, the starting 11, can't play every match either. I consider that in my group, there are twenty players who can consider themselves starters; unfortunately, there are only 11 players on the field. So yes, I'll be led to make changes on the field."

Copyright 2026 Athlon Sports. All rights reserved.

This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 1:58 PM.