Kylian Mbappe scored twice on his 100th international appearance as France booked their place in the World Cup last 32 with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Iraq on Monday, in a match disrupted by a lengthy weather delay.
Mbappe opened the scoring before thunderstorms forced a stoppage of nearly two hours between the first and second halves. The France captain added his second goal after the restart, while Ousmane Dembele also found the net to seal the win for Didier Deschamps’ side.
The brace moved Mbappe onto 16 career World Cup goals, drawing level with former Germany striker Miroslav Klose on the all-time scoring list. It also took his tournament tally to four goals, leaving him one behind Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.
France controlled much of the contest and successfully resumed their dominance after the prolonged interruption. “We picked up where we left off,” Deschamps said after the match, praising his side’s ability to regain focus following the delay.
Dembele’s goal was a timely response to criticism following his performance in France’s opening win over Senegal. Deschamps backed the Ballon d’Or holder, insisting he retains complete confidence in the forward.
The victory leaves France level on three points with Norway at the top of Group I ahead of their decisive meeting on Saturday. Iraq, meanwhile, remain in contention for a third-place qualification spot but may need a win over Senegal in their final group match and favourable results elsewhere.
Oluwagbemisola Babalola
Follow us on:
