Kylian Mbappe marked his 100th international cap with two more World Cup goals as France secured a 3-0 victory over Iraq in a match delayed by two hours due to a severe storm in Philadelphia.
Mbappe's Milestone Performance
Mbappe opened the scoring in the 14th minute and added another nine minutes into the second half. Ousmane Dembele also found the net for the tournament favorites. Mbappe now has 16 World Cup goals, two behind Lionel Messi, who set a new record of 18 goals earlier on Monday by scoring twice for Argentina against Austria.
Storm Disruption
The match kicked off at 5:00 pm local time (2100 GMT) at Lincoln Financial Field. Despite starting in dry conditions, torrential rain began late in the first half. At half-time, supporters were told to exit open seating areas and seek shelter in covered areas. The majority of the 68,324-capacity stadium is uncovered, forcing fans to pack into concourses. The second half began over two hours late, marking the first weather delay at this World Cup. Strict US protocols require matches to be halted if a storm is detected.
Mbappe's Goal-Scoring Feats
This brace followed two goals in France's opening 3-1 win over Senegal. The 27-year-old Real Madrid star and France captain became his country's all-time top scorer against Senegal, surpassing Olivier Giroud's 57 goals. He now has 60 goals in 100 appearances, with 16 World Cup goals in 16 tournament matches. Mbappe is level with Germany's Miroslav Klose on the all-time World Cup goals list, having overtaken Brazilian Ronaldo's 15. He appears set for a goal-scoring duel with Messi at this year's tournament.
Group Stage Implications
France, the 2022 beaten finalists, have already secured a place in the last 32 after two wins in Group I. They face Erling Haaland's Norway in Boston on Friday. Iraq, meanwhile, face early elimination after this defeat followed a 4-1 loss to Norway. They have now lost five out of five matches across two World Cups, 40 years apart.
Team Changes and Match Action
France made three changes from their opening game: Bradley Barcola replaced Desire Doue on the left wing, Manu Kone stepped in for Aurelien Tchouameni in midfield, and Lucas Digne was preferred to Theo Hernandez at left-back. Mbappe opened the scoring before the quarter-hour mark, controlling a pass with his right foot and firing a shot from 20 meters that was too powerful for Iraq goalkeeper Ahmed Basil. Iraq captain and striker Aymen Hussein had to come off with just 26 minutes gone due to injury.
Second Half Collapse
The weather delay created a surreal atmosphere as the storm passed, leaving supporters drenched and players waiting in the dressing room. When play resumed, Iraq caved in. A calamitous passage of play gifted France their second goal on 54 minutes: defender Zaid Tahseen attempted a goal-kick to goalkeeper Basil but hit it too hard and wide, allowing Dembele to set up Mbappe for a simple finish. Michael Olise then hit the bar with a delicate chip before Dembele fired in on 66 minutes to make it 3-0.
