2026 World Cup: France storms to 3-0 win over Iraq behind Kylian Mbappé brace

Not even the rain could stop Kylian Mbappé. For the second World Cup game in a row, the French captain notched a brace to help lead Les Bleus to victory, this time with a 3-0 win over Iraq.

Mbappé also shared the glory with Ousmane Dembélé, with the midfielder giving Mbappé an unselfish assist on his second goal before finally scoring his first goal of the 2026 tournament.

France's pressure in the attacking third was clear early on, and in the 14th minute, Mbappé broke through. The forward powered a stellar left-footed strike past Iraq goalkeeper Ahmed Basil to give France a 1-0 lead.

Shortly afterward, Iraqi striker and captain Aymen Hussein subbed out of the game during the first hydration break, marking a worryingly early substitution. He was replaced by Ali Al-Hamadi.

The rain then began partway through the half, though, picking up in earnest as the half went on. At halftime, the game entered a lengthy weather delay due to a passing thunderstorm in the area of Philadelphia Stadium, with fans being instructed to shelter in place.

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After the two-hour delay, the two teams finally returned to the pitch shortly before 8 p.m. ET, continuing the match on a field visibly soaked with rain. But France picked up right where it left off: In the 54th minute, Dembélé broke up a poor pass back to Basil and then selflessly passed to Mbappé, who sent the ball into the back of the net.

Dembélé, another of France's main stars heading into the tournament, hadn't quite lived up to expectations the way that Mbappé had. But in the 66th minute, Dembélé finally scored, off a great cutting pass from Michael Olise.

That goal ended up sealing a 3-0 win for Les Bleus, as Iraq couldn't do anything to surmount a comeback.

With the victory, France has now clinched a spot in the knockout round, though a first-place finish is not a guarantee: Les Bleus face red-hot Norway for the final group stage game. Iraq, meanwhile, is not yet eliminated from the competition, though a win over Senegal will be crucial if they want to advance as a third-place team.