Mbappe: France beat Iraq 3-0 in weather-hit World Cup clash

A Mbappe-inspired performance guided France to a 3-0 victory over Iraq in a World Cup clash, as Kylian Mbappe celebrated his 100th international cap with two goals in a match heavily disrupted by severe weather.

France controlled the game from the start at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, where Mbappe opened the scoring in the 14th minute before adding a second early in the second half. Kylian Mbappe continued his scoring run, while Ousmane Dembele added a third goal to seal the win for France against Iraq.

The match was delayed for more than two hours after severe storms swept across the stadium, forcing officials to suspend play under safety protocols. Fans were instructed to leave open stands and take shelter in covered areas as heavy rain and lightning moved into the region.

Despite the interruption, France maintained their momentum after the restart and extended their strong tournament start. Mbappe’s brace lifted his World Cup tally to 16 goals, placing him within reach of the tournament record held by Lionel Messi, who has 18 goals.

The France captain now has 60 international goals in 100 appearances, including 16 goals in just 16 World Cup matches, underlining his consistent scoring record on football’s biggest stage.

The game was officially restarted more than two hours later, marking the first major weather disruption of the tournament as extreme conditions affected the United States venue.