Canada's Drew Fischer will take charge of France's Group I clash against Iraq at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking the 45-year-old's debut as a World Cup referee.

Fischer, a FIFA-registered official since 2015, has built his reputation primarily in Major League Soccer, where he earned the league's Referee of the Year award in both 2024 and 2025. He has also officiated regularly at the CONCACAF Champions Cup and the Gold Cup, and served as a Video Match Official at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The match officials

Fischer will be assisted on the lines by fellow Canadians Micheal Barwegen and Lyes Arfa. Switzerland's Sandro Schärer has been appointed as the fourth official in Philadelphia, with compatriot Stephane De Almeida serving as the reserve. American Joseph Dickerson will operate in the VAR booth, supported by Uruguayan official Antonio Garcia.

What is at stake

Kick-off is scheduled for 4pm local time — 10pm UK time — at Philadelphia Stadium in the United States.

France arrive at this fixture in strong form after defeating Senegal 3-1 in their Group I opener. Kylian Mbappe was the standout performer in that win, scoring twice to become France's all-time leading goalscorer. A victory here would confirm Les Bleus' place in the knockout rounds ahead of their final group match against Norway.

Iraq, meanwhile, face the task of recovering from a bruising 4-1 defeat to Norway, a match in which Erling Haaland struck twice. Only an upset against France would realistically keep Iraq's hopes of progression alive.

An additional factor hanging over proceedings is the threat of severe weather — forecasted storms in the Philadelphia area could prompt match officials to invoke FIFA's bad weather protocols, potentially delaying kick-off.