Mbappe scores twice as France weather the storm to seal knockout spot
- France vs Iraq: Mbappe scores twice in his 100th appearance as Les Bleus qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stage.
- Mbappe extended his World Cup tally to 16 goals, moving joint second on the all-time scoring chart and closing in on Lionel Messi’s record.
- Dembele also netted his first World Cup goal as France cruised to a 3-0 victory over Iraq at Philadelphia Stadium on Tuesday, June 23.
Kylian Mbappe netted a brace on his 100th international appearance for France, bringing his total FIFA World Cup goals to 16, as Les Bleus cruised past Iraq to secure their place in the 2026 knockout stage.
The 3-0 triumph in Philadelphia on Tuesday morning did not come without a hitch though as the contest was delayed by at least 130 minutes due to a torrential downpour and violent thunderstorms at the venue.
The opening half was drenched in chaos, with sheets of rain hammering the stadium.
Despite the French dominating large spells, they could not breach Iraq’s resilient rearguard, except for a 14th minute strike from Mbappe that proved the difference in that encounter.
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Operating on a whole other plane, the Real Madrid icon showed exactly why he is considered one of the game’s elite.
He ignited the move himself, feeding Michael Olise down the right flank, and the Bayern Munich playmaker swiftly returned the favor.
Mbappee, cutting onto his left boot, unleashed a ferocious drive from 20 yards out.
The Iraqi keeper got a fingertip to it, but the sheer venom behind the shot carried it over the line, Mbappe’s third of the 2026 tournament and 15th overall in World Cup appearances.
After the two plus hour weather interruption, the match resumed with France dictating proceedings on the sodden turf.
Then, in the 54th minute, Mbappe grabbed his second of the day, his fourth of the competition, having already scored in the opener against Senegal.
This one came courtesy of an unselfish Ousmane Dembele, who pounced on a mishap from Iraqi custodian Ahmed Basil. Basil fumbled a near post delivery from Ahmed Qasem, and Dembele coolly squared it to Mbappe, who made no mistake in slotting home.
Dembele, the Ballon d’Or winner, had not managed to find the net in the first half or in France’s opener, despite his PSG pedigree.
But that selfless assist to his captain was soon followed by his first ever World Cup goal moments later.
A sublime clipped pass from Olise found him in the box, and Dembele turned sharply before dinking the ball into the net to make it three for his country, a maiden World Cup strike that will surely be the first of many.
Iraq rarely threatened to alter the outcome, despite holding their own in midfield during the first period.
Their knockout hopes now rest on the final group encounter against Senegal, who are trailing 2-0 to Norway in their concurrent fixture.
France, meanwhile, will wrap up their group campaign against Norway on the same day.
France vs Iraq FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I lineups, Tuesday, June 23, 2026
- France starting lineup (4 2 3 1): Mike Maignan; Jules Kounde, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, Lucas Digne; Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot; Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola; Kylian Mbappe.
- Iraq starting lineup (4 2 3 1): Ahmed Basil; Hussein Ali, Akam Hashim, Zaid Tahseen, Merchas Doski; Amir Al Ammari, Zaid Ismael; Ibrahim Bayesh, Zidane Iqbal, Ahmed Qasem; Aymen Hussein.
Read more about other World Cup teams in 2026 below:
Morocco national football team 2026
Argentina national football team 2026
Mexico national football team 2026
Spain national football team 2026
Brazil national football team 2026
France national football team 2026
Senegal national football team 2026
France vs Senegal lineups
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