In a World Cup match that faced over a two-hour delay due to thunder and lightning in the Philadelphia area, it was France’s standout player, Kylian Mbappé, who shone on the field.
Mbappé netted two goals—one before the delay and another afterwards—as the 2018 World Cup champions secured a dominant 3-0 victory over a clearly outmatched Iraq.
With this brace, Mbappé increased his tournament tally to four goals, bringing his total World Cup goals to 16—tying him with Germany’s renowned Miroslav Klose. Klose’s record, once unmatched, has been surpassed by Lionel Messi, who recently claimed the lead at 18 goals during Argentina‘s first two matches.
However, Mbappé dismissed any notion of rivalry with Messi, stating that he doesn’t focus on his accomplishments. “There is no saga with Messi. Leo scores and will continue to do so. I don’t follow his progress; I concentrate on my team,” he said.
“Scoring goals brings me closer to these milestones, but it’s more important for me to see our team progress.”
Additionally, Mbappé surpassed Brazilian legend Ronaldo, who scored 15 World Cup goals, marking his sixth multigoal game at the tournament.
Messi, who scored twice in a victory over Austria earlier in the day, stands at a remarkable 18 goals, with Mbappé—11 years his junior—eagerly pursuing the record.
“Records are meant to be broken,” commented French coach Didier Deschamps following the match. “Kylian has reached 100 caps, and he will definitely continue scoring. While I’m not sure he will play as long as Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, he will consistently find the back of the net while he’s on the pitch.”
As the match neared halftime, storms rolled over Lincoln Financial Field, drenching everyone in attendance. Shortly after the players retreated to the locker room, FIFA announced a delay that would last at least 15 minutes.
This initial delay stretched into over two hours due to FIFA regulations requiring games to pause and clear seating areas for 30 minutes following any detected lightning within an 8-mile radius, with each strike resetting the timer.
“In the locker room, we played cards during the break,” said Deschamps. “We were just waiting as the timelines kept shifting. The priority for myself and [Iraq coach] Graham Arnold was to ensure that we had enough time to warm up again without risking player safety.”
“This is the first time I’ve experienced such a lengthy break, and I hope it’s the last.”
Meanwhile, heavy rainfall preceded Monday night’s matchup between Norway and Senegal in East Rutherford, New Jersey, though that game commenced as scheduled.
When the play resumed after halftime, France continued to dominate, with Ousmane Dembélé assisting Mbappé for his second goal before scoring himself, marking his first goal of the World Cup.
“The time between the start and end of this game felt long, especially with our next match in just four days,” Deschamps remarked. “I’m not frustrated. We stayed relaxed, sharing jokes among ourselves. It’s about safety, and I respect whatever rules are in place to ensure it.”
Mbappé’s third tournament goal was a left-footed shot—often considered his weaker foot—from the edge of the box that beat Iraq goalkeeper Ahmed Basil, who made his first start after captain Jalal Hassan conceded four goals in Iraq’s 4-1 defeat to Norway.
Mbappé netted his second goal after taking advantage of a poor back pass from Iraq defender Zaid Tahseen, controlling the ball and tapping it in with his right foot.
“He is very hard on himself,” Deschamps praised when talking about Mbappé. “I’m not worried about him at all. He’s here to score goals, and he performs his captaincy role both on and off the field. He has an international presence. I’ve heard enough criticism about his so-called selfishness, but that’s far from the truth. He is a great leader and sets a good example for the team.”
Mbappé nearly secured a hat trick later on a breakaway; however, he was unable to convert before being substituted in the final minute.
Iraq striker Aymen Hussein left the field due to an apparent injury in the 26th minute of the first half and was replaced by Ali Al-Hamadi. Hussein had previously scored his 34th international goal during Iraq’s World Cup opener.
This marks Iraq’s second appearance in the World Cup since their debut in 1986.
With this victory, France has accumulated six points from two matches and could potentially return to Philadelphia to face Germany on July 4 after defeating Senegal 3-1 in their opening game. Didier Deschamps’ team is guaranteed a place in the knockout rounds, but their final group stage match against Norway will likely determine first place in the group.
Information from AP was utilized in this report, with contributions from ESPN reporter Julien Laurens.