Mbappe Double Sends France Into World Cup Last 32
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Kylian Mbappe struck twice, including a 22-yard opener and a tap-in after an error from Iraq's Zaid Tahseen, taking his tournament tally to four goals and his all-time World Cup count to 16 — two behind Lionel Messi.
- Ousmane Dembele scored his first goal at a major international tournament on his 20th appearance across World Cups and European Championships, finishing off a Michael Olise through-ball to make it 3-0.
- The match was halted for two hours at halftime due to severe lightning in Philadelphia — the first weather-related delay of the World Cup — after which Mbappe publicly complained the attacking half of the pitch was left waterlogged while the defending side was cleaned.
- France sit top of Group I with six points from two games and face Norway on Friday, with Didier Deschamps calling the third match 'decisive for our final position in the group.'
- Iraq coach Graham Arnold said the delay made conditions harder for his players, telling reporters it was 'the first time I experienced it in football as a coach or a player.'
- The 3-0 win came in front of 68,324 at Philadelphia Stadium, with Mbappe quoting Messi's Argentina display as his benchmark: 'If I want to keep up with what Leo is doing, I'll have to do even more.'
Why it matters: France have secured knockout-stage qualification two matchdays into the group stage, giving Deschamps room to rotate against Norway while Mbappe closes in on Messi's World Cup scoring record. The two-hour Philadelphia storm also produced the tournament's first official weather delay, a logistical wrinkle tournament organizers will study as games move deeper into summer.
