France secured their place in the FIFA World Cup knockout rounds with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Iraq on Monday, as forward Kylian Mbappé scored twice in his 100th international appearance.
The match at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field was interrupted by a lengthy weather delay, but the French side remained in control throughout, with Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé also finding the net.
Mbappé opened the scoring in the 14th minute, giving France a deserved lead before severe weather halted proceedings at halftime.
Heavy rain and a thunderstorm forced players and supporters to take shelter, with the match delayed for more than two hours.
When play resumed, France quickly reasserted their dominance. Mbappé doubled the advantage in the 54th minute, capitalising on a defensive mistake after Iraq defender Zaid Tahseen’s misplaced pass put his team under pressure. Dembélé later added a third goal to seal the victory for Les Bleus.
The French captain’s brace took his World Cup tally to 16 goals, moving him level with German legend Miroslav Klose in second place on the tournament’s all-time scoring chart. He also moved ahead of Brazilian great Ronaldo Nazário.
Only Lionel Messi, who earlier set a new World Cup record with 18 goals, now stands ahead of Mbappé on the competition’s all-time list.
The 27-year-old nearly completed a hat-trick late in the match but failed to convert a clear opportunity before being substituted in the closing minutes.
France, champions in 2018 and runners-up in 2022, entered the tournament among the favourites and have now advanced to the last 16 with a game to spare.
They could return to Philadelphia for a potential meeting with Germany on July 4.
For Iraq, the defeat leaves their hopes of progressing hanging by a thread. Their problems were compounded when striker Aymen Hussein was forced off injured midway through the first half.
Iraq are making only their second World Cup appearance, having previously competed in the tournament in 1986.
