FIFA World Cup 2026: Mbappe's brace, Dembele's goal help France book knockouts berth with 3-0 win over Iraq
Philadelphia, June 23
Kylian Mbappe's brace and a goal by Ousmane Dembele helped France defeat Iraq 3-0 in Group I fixture of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Philadelphia Stadium, in a match that also saw a long weather delay. With the win, France booked their spot in the World Cup knockouts.
France took the lead early as Mbappe first scored in the 14th minute against Iraq and also reached 15 World Cup goals on his 100th international appearance. The move came down the right side, where he combined with Michael Olise. After the initial pass was blocked, Olise regained the ball and set up Mbappe at the edge of the box. Mbappe then hit a powerful left-footed shot, and although goalkeeper Ahmed Basil got a touch to it, he could not prevent the goal.
The goal put France in control before heavy rain and lightning forced a suspension of play. The match was halted for nearly two hours due to severe weather conditions.
After the delay, play resumed and France quickly regained momentum as Mbappe's second goal came in the 54th minute after a costly mistake by the Iraqi defence and goalkeeper Ahmed Basil. The error came when defender Rebin Sulaka played a short pass back towards Basil following a goal kick. The goalkeeper failed to control the ball properly under pressure from Ousmane Dembele, allowing France to win possession in a dangerous area. Dembele then squared the ball to Mbappe, who made no mistake and tapped into an empty net to double France's lead.
The second goal took Mbappe's World Cup tally to 16, drawing him level with Miroslav Klose and leaving him just two goals behind Lionel Messi's all-time record of 18.
France added a third in the 66th minute as Ousmane Dembele scored his first World Cup goal and first goal at a major international tournament. Michael Olise set him up inside the box, and Dembele finished with a powerful low right-footed shot into the bottom corner.
The result means France are perfect in Group I with two wins from two matches, and have booked their berth in the last 32.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Honestly, Iraq were poor today. That defensive error from the goalkeeper was schoolboy stuff - backpass under pressure, then fumbling the ball? Even our small-town club keepers in Kerala wouldn't make that mistake. Mbappe deserves the record chase though, he's unstoppable. But France's defense also wasn't tested much; Iraq barely created chances. Good for France, but they'll need to be sharper in knockouts.
What a performance from Mbappe! Brace and 100th cap - historic moment for football. As someone who grew up watching Pele and Maradona clips on YouTube, seeing this guy break records is special. The 2-hour weather delay must have been frustrating for players, but they came back strong. Dembele finally scoring his first major tournament goal - took him long enough! 😄 India needs to take notes on how France develops talent. Their academy system is world-class.
I respect France's quality, but the gap between top European teams and Asian teams like Iraq is huge. It's not just about money - it's about exposure, coaching, and playing at this level regularly. Our Indian team hasn't even qualified for the World Cup since 1950. Seeing Iraq struggle makes me wonder how we'd fare. The positive is that Asian football is improving slowly. Mbappe chasing Messi's record is exciting though - 2 more goals to equal!
Heavy rain, lightning, 2-hour delay - typical Philadelphia weather! But France handled it professionally. Mbappe's first goal was pure class - that left-footed strike from outside the box, top corner. Basil got a hand but couldn't stop it. The empty net tap-in for the second was easy but you still have to be in the right place. Dembele's goal was deserved after working hard all game. France looking scary good this tournament. India should send scouts to study their system.
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