France’s national team defeated Iraq in the second round of the group stage at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The match, held at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, ended with a score of 3–0.
Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring in the 14th minute. He also netted the second goal for his team in the 54th minute.
With this performance, Mbappé moved into second place in the all-time World Cup goal-scoring rankings. He has now matched Miroslav Klose in this category. Only Lionel Messi (18 goals) remains ahead of them.
France’s third goal was scored by Ousmane Dembélé in the 66th minute.
This game was also notable for being the first match of the tournament to be suspended due to adverse weather conditions. A heavy downpour began in Philadelphia toward the end of the first half. During halftime, an announcement was made at the stadium asking spectators to leave the stands for safety reasons due to a thunderstorm and the risk of lightning strikes. The pause ultimately lasted more than two hours.
France now has six points and leads Group I. Iraq has yet to earn any points and sits in fourth place.
In the third round of fixtures, France will face Norway, while Iraq will take on Senegal.
About the Author
