France booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 32 with a commanding 3-0 victory over Iraq in a weather-disrupted Group I clash at Philadelphia Stadium on Monday night.
A two-goal display from Kylian Mbappé and a late strike from Ousmane Dembélé ensured Didier Deschamps’ side maintained their perfect start to the tournament despite a lengthy weather interruption.
The encounter became the first match at the World Cup to be suspended because of severe weather conditions, with the second half delayed for more than two hours due to lightning strikes around the Philadelphia area.
France had started brightly and took the lead in the 14th minute when Mbappe curled a superb left-footed effort into the far corner after being set up by Michael Olise.
Although Iraq enjoyed more possession after the opening goal and threatened sporadically, Les Bleus remained in control. Iraq’s hopes were further dented when captain and striker Aymen Hussein was forced off through injury in the first half.
Following the extended weather delay, France quickly reasserted their dominance. A costly mistake by Iraq goalkeeper Ahmed Basil gifted Mbappe his second goal of the night in the 54th minute after Dembélé capitalised on a defensive mix-up and provided a simple assist.
France continued to create chances, with Olise striking the crossbar and Adrien Rabiot missing a clear header before Dembélé finally got on the scoresheet in the 66th minute.
The Paris-born winger finished clinically after a brilliant outside-of-the-foot assist from Olise, registering his first goal for France at a major international tournament.
Iraq showed flashes of attacking intent late in the contest, but efforts from Rebin Sulaka and Ali Al Hamadi failed to trouble the French defence.
Mbappe nearly completed his hat-trick in the closing stages but fired over when presented with a clear opportunity.
The victory moves France to the top of Group I with six points and secures their place in the knockout phase. Iraq, meanwhile, remain without a point and face a must-win encounter against Senegal in their final group match.
Mbappe’s brace also took his World Cup tally to 16 goals, moving him level as the second-highest scorer in tournament history and keeping him firmly in contention in the race for the Golden Boot.
France will conclude their group campaign against Norway national football team, while Iraq take on Senegal national football team in a bid to salvage pride from their tournament.
