By Dwayne Ferreira.
Mbappé’s brace on his 100th France appearance seals a 3-0 win over Iraq, sending Les Bleus into the World Cup round of 32 after a storm delay.
Kylian Mbappé scored twice on his 100th international appearance as France beat Iraq 3-0 in Group I and qualified for the World Cup round of 32 despite a prolonged thunderstorm delay in Philadelphia.
France arrived after defeating Senegal 3-1, while Iraq had suffered a 4-1 loss to Norway in their opening match. Didier Deschamps refreshed his starting side with Lucas Digne, Manu Koné and Bradley Barcola, but retained Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise in an attack expected to control the contest.
That expectation was quickly confirmed. France dominated territory and possession from the opening minutes, and Mbappé had already threatened before breaking the deadlock in the 14th minute. Olise found him near the left edge of the penalty area, where the captain shifted the ball onto his left foot and drove a powerful shot beyond Ahmed Basil.
Iraq defended deep and struggled to establish sustained possession in France’s half. Their task became harder when captain Aymen Hussein, who had scored against Norway, was forced off with an apparent injury in the 26th minute and replaced by Ali Al-Hamadi. France reached halftime ahead without allowing Iraq a shot on target.
The evening then became one of the tournament’s most unusual. Heavy rain and lightning forced spectators into covered areas and extended the interval by more than two hours while officials waited for conditions to satisfy local safety protocols. Ground staff worked to clear standing water before both teams returned.
France resumed with the same authority and doubled their advantage in the 54th minute. A short Iraqi goal kick went wrong when Zaid Tahseen’s pass placed Basil under pressure. Dembélé recovered the loose ball and supplied Mbappé for a simple right-footed finish.
Dembélé completed the scoring 12 minutes later. Olise released him into space, and the winger controlled the pass before steering a low shot beyond Basil for his first World Cup goal. Mbappé later had an opportunity to complete a hat-trick but missed on a breakaway before being withdrawn near the end.
The statistics reflected France’s control. Les Bleus recorded 19 attempts to Iraq’s four, allowed no shot on target and completed the match with 56 per cent possession. Mbappé’s brace took him to four goals at these finals and 16 in World Cup competition, level with Klose and two behind Messi’s new record.
Iraq showed commitment through the long disruption, but individual errors removed any chance of turning the match into a contest. Al-Hamadi acknowledged that facing France’s quality after an extended wait was difficult, while Deschamps praised his players for immediately recovering their concentration after the restart.
France and Norway now have six points and are confirmed in the knockout stage, with France holding the superior goal difference. They meet in Foxborough on June 26 to decide first place in Group I. Iraq face Senegal in Toronto the same day, needing victory and favourable results elsewhere to pursue one of the best third-place positions.
MATCH SUMMARY
France – 3
Kylian Mbappé 14’, 54’
Ousmane Dembélé 66’
Iraq – 0
Result: France won 3-0
Player of the Match: Kylian Mbappé
Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026, Group I
Venue: Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date: June 22, 2026
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