SOCCER: Another brace for Kylian Mbappe sends France to 3-0 win over Iraq

PHILADELPHIA — Kylian Mbappe scored twice as France cruised to a 3-0 victory over Iraq on Monday in a FIFA World Cup match that was interrupted by a lengthy weather delay.

Mbappe opened the scoring in the 14th minute and added another goal after halftime, while Ousmane Dembele also found the net for France. The victory secured France's place in the Round of 32 with six points from two matches.

The match was heavily affected by severe weather, as thunderstorms forced officials to delay the start of the second half for nearly two hours. Spectators were instructed to seek shelter inside the stadium while heavy rain passed through the area.

Mbappe’s two goals increased his career World Cup tally to 16, tying former Germany striker Miroslav Klose on the all-time scoring list. Earlier in the day, Lionel Messi set a new World Cup record with 18 career goals after scoring twice in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria.

The France captain now has four goals in the 2026 tournament, moving within one goal of Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.

France controlled the match from the opening whistle and took the lead when Mbappe received a pass from Michael Olise, created space outside the penalty area, and fired a powerful shot past Iraq goalkeeper Ahmed Basil.

Iraq suffered a setback midway through the first half when striker Aymen Hussein left the match with an apparent injury. Hussein scored Iraq’s only goal of the tournament in its opening match.

Following the lengthy weather delay, France quickly extended its advantage. Iraq committed a costly error during a goal kick, allowing Dembele to set up Mbappe for a simple finish. Dembele later added a goal of his own, finishing off another well-placed pass from Olise to make it 3-0.

With the result effectively decided, the weather became the main storyline. Players returned to the field approximately 100 minutes after halftime, while stadium staff worked to clear standing water from sections of the pitch before play resumed.

France will conclude Group I play against Norway, while Iraq must defeat Senegal in its final group match and rely on other results to keep its hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive. -Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media/Reuters