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France became one of the first nations to secure a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32, sealing qualification with a game to spare after a convincing victory over Iraq. However, the match in Philadelphia will be remembered not only for its significance on the pitch but also for an extraordinary two-hour interruption caused by severe weather conditions.

The evening belonged to Kylian Mbappe. Celebrating his 100th appearance for France, the captain delivered a decisive brace and moved level with Miroslav Klose on the all-time FIFA World Cup scoring charts. Only Lionel Messi now remains ahead of the French superstar.

Didier Deschamps' side took control from the opening whistle and quickly imposed their authority. The breakthrough arrived in the 14th minute when Mbappe combined brilliantly with Michael Olise down the right flank before unleashing a powerful strike from the edge of the penalty area to open the scoring.

After taking an early lead, France appeared comfortable, but the contest was soon overshadowed by extreme weather. Heavy rain and thunderstorm activity forced officials to suspend the match under FIFA safety regulations, which require play to stop when lightning is detected within a 13-kilometre radius of the stadium.

The unprecedented delay lasted almost two hours, leaving both teams confined to their dressing rooms. Once play resumed, the favourites wasted little time in punishing a series of costly Iraqi mistakes.

In the 54th minute, Ousmane Dembele capitalised on a loose pass and squared the ball to Mbappe, who calmly tapped into an empty net to double the advantage and complete his milestone-night brace.

Iraq continued to struggle under pressure, and another defensive error proved fatal just after the hour mark. In the 66th minute, Dembele escaped his marker inside the penalty area and finished confidently into the far corner to make it 3-0 and put the result beyond doubt.

World Cup 2026

France - Iraq 3:0 (1:0)
Goals: Mbappé, 14 (1:0); Mbappé, 54 (2:0); Dembele O., 66 (3:0)

France: Maignan; Saliba; Digne; Upamecano; Kounde (Gusto, 83); Koné M.; Olise (Cherki, 68); Rabiot; Dembele O. (Doue D., 68); Mbappé (Thuram M., 91); Barcola B. (Akliouche, 83)
Substitution: Doue D. (from 68); Cherki (from 68); Gusto (from 83); Akliouche (from 83); Thuram M. (from 91)
Bench: Samba B.; Risser; Lacroix M.; Theo Hernández; Konate; Lucas Hernandez; Tchouaméni; Kante N.; Zaire-Emery; Mateta

Iraq: Basil Fadhil; Ali H.; Tahseen (Sulaka, 60); Hashem; Doski; Ismail (Amyn Yo., 60); Al-Ammari (Sher A., 68); Iqbal; Qasem; Bayesh (Farji, 68); Hussein A. (Al-Hamadi, 26)
Substitution: Al-Hamadi (from 26); Sulaka (from 60); Amyn Yo. (from 60); Sher A. (from 68); Farji (from 68)
Bench: Talib; Hassan; Saadoon; Younis; Maknzi; Putros; Yakob; Jasim; Ali M.; Yousif
Yellow Cards: Al-Ammari 6