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France became one of the first teams to secure a place in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a commanding 3-0 victory over Iraq in a Group I encounter disrupted by severe weather in Philadelphia.
The French side, managed by Didier Deschamps, made it two wins from two matches, overcoming both a resilient Iraqi team and a lengthy weather delay to continue their perfect start to the tournament.
Kylian Mbappé once again proved decisive for Les Bleus, scoring twice to take his tally to four goals at the tournament. The France captain opened the scoring in the first half with a powerful strike from outside the box before adding a second shortly after the restart.
The match took an unusual turn at half-time when severe storms and lightning in the Philadelphia area forced officials to suspend play. What was expected to be a routine interval lasted nearly two hours as players and supporters were ordered to remain under cover.
When the game resumed, France quickly tightened their grip on the contest. Mbappé capitalised on a defensive error by Iraq to double his side’s advantage and move closer to the all-time World Cup scoring record.
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Ousmane Dembélé then completed the victory in the 66th minute after being set up by Michael Olise. The goal was particularly significant for the winger as it marked his first-ever goal in a major international tournament after appearances across World Cups and European Championships.
France dominated possession throughout the match, consistently finding space between Iraq’s defensive lines and creating the better chances. Mbappé’s movement and attacking threat proved too much for the Asian side to contain.
The victory leaves France on six points and guarantees their place in the knockout stage with one group match still to play. They will face Norway in their final Group I fixture as they look to secure top spot.
For Iraq, the defeat means qualification hopes now depend on the outcome of their final group match, with the team needing a positive result to keep their World Cup campaign alive.
