France Cruise Past Iraq 3-0 Despite Weather Delay as Mbappe Moves Closer to Messi's Record

France Cruise Past Iraq 3-0 Despite Weather Delay as Mbappe Moves Closer to Messi's Record

Kylian Mbappe continued his relentless pursuit of Lionel Messi's World Cup goalscoring record, scoring a brace as France defeated Iraq 3-0 in a dramatic Group I clash that was interrupted for nearly two hours by a severe thunderstorm . The match, played at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, saw France control proceedings from the start, with Mbappe opening the scoring in the 14th minute with a powerful left-footed strike from outside the penalty area . The goal was Mbappe's 15th in World Cup history, moving him level with legendary Brazilian Ronaldo and into third place on the all-time scoring list.

The first half ended with France leading 1-0, but as the players prepared for the second half, a severe thunderstorm with lightning strikes forced FIFA to halt the match under their strict weather safety protocols . Play was suspended for nearly two hours until conditions were deemed safe, making it the first World Cup match in the tournament to be directly affected by weather . Once the game resumed, France wasted no time in extending their lead, with Iraq gifting them a second goal in the 54th minute when a defensive error allowed Ousmane Dembele to intercept and set up Mbappe for an easy tap-in .

Mbappe's second goal of the night was his 16th in World Cup history, bringing him level with Miroslav Klose and just two goals behind Lionel Messi's all-time record of 18 . The Real Madrid striker now has four goals in the tournament and is locked in a fierce battle with Messi for the Golden Boot. The victory was sealed in the 78th minute when Michael Olise delivered a superb assist to Ousmane Dembele, who scored his first-ever goal in a major international tournament after 19 appearances at the World Cup and European Championships.

The match also marked a significant milestone for Mbappe, who made his 100th appearance for the French national team . With the 3-0 win, France now have six points from two matches, officially securing their place in the Round of 32 . Iraq remain at the bottom of the group with zero points and face an uphill battle to keep their tournament hopes alive in their final group match . France will now face Norway in their final group game to decide who finishes top of Group I.