Group I France 3-0 Iraq Norway 3-2 Senegal Kylian Mbappe celebrated his 100th appearance for France in style on Monday night, scoring twice in a 3-0 victory over Iraq in a World Cup match that stretched beyond four hours after a lengthy weather delay in Philadelphia. The France captain delivered another masterclass as Didier Deschamps' side secured their second straight win of the FIFA World Cup 2026, moving to six points in Group I and all but guaranteeing their place in the knockout stages. The evening, however, was as much about endurance as it was about football. Thunderstorms and lightning over Philadelphia forced officials to suspend play for nearly two hours, with spectators at Lincoln Financial Field ordered to evacuate the stands while players remained in their dressing rooms awaiting safer conditions. When the action finally resumed, France quickly reasserted their dominance, led by their talismanic captain. Mbappe, who made his international debut against Luxembourg on March 25, 2017, opened the scoring in the 15th minute. Michael Olise slipped a pass into the right side of the penalty area and the Real Madrid forward unleashed a powerful left-footed effort beyond Iraqi goalkeeper Ahmed Basil. The goal was the 59th of Mbappe's international career and highlighted France's early control of the contest. The two-time world champions dictated possession and created the better opportunities throughout the opening half, although the approaching storm eventually brought proceedings to a halt. Following the extended interruption, France picked up where they had left off. Mbappe struck again in the second half to register his 60th international goal and his fourth of the tournament, continuing his outstanding start to the World Cup. The brace also took his overall World Cup tally to 16 goals across three editions of the competition, underlining his status as one of the most prolific players in the tournament's history. Reigning Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele then put the result beyond doubt in the 66th minute, finishing off another flowing French attack to complete a comfortable 3-0 victory. The win keeps France firmly on course for a deep run in the tournament and strengthens their credentials as one of the leading contenders to lift the trophy on July 19. Mbappe's latest goals also have implications in the race for the Golden Boot. His four goals at the tournament leave him just one behind Argentina captain Lionel Messi, who earlier on Monday scored twice in Argentina's 2-0 victory over Austria. Messi's brace saw him become the leading goalscorer in men's World Cup history with 18 career goals, surpassing the previous benchmark and setting a new standard on football's biggest stage. While the Argentina legend currently leads the scoring charts, Mbappe's form suggests the race for individual honours is far from over. France now head into their final Group I fixture against Norway in Boston on Friday with maximum points from two matches and qualification firmly within reach.
