Mbappé braces through the rain as France beats Iraq 3-0
A two-hour thunderstorm delay failed to disrupt France's march to the last 32, with Kylian Mbappé scoring twice on his 100th international appearance
Kylian Mbappé scored twice, reaching 16 career World Cup goals, and Ousmane Dembélé scored once to help France beat Iraq 3-0 on Monday in Philadelphia. France will now face Norway on Saturday with the Group I title on the line.
But it wasn’t all action. The game was interrupted by a nearly two-hour thunderstorm delay at halftime. Scoreboard messages directed the crowd to shelter in the stadium concourses as sheets of rain battered Lincoln Financial Field. Ground crew spent the delay using squeegees to clear standing water from the pitch.
The rain delay did little to dampen either set of fans. Iraq supporters chanted, danced, and played drums in the concourses, while French fans returned to their seats once play resumed.
The match was Mbappé's 100th international appearance and his third World Cup. With 16 career goals, he is now tied with Germany's Miroslav Klose for the second-most goals in games. He now sits behind only Lionel Messi, who set a new tournament benchmark of 18, in Monday’s Argentina's win over Austria.
Iraq remains mathematically alive for one of eight third-place spots but would likely need to beat Senegal in their finale and get help elsewhere. This year was Iraq's first World Cup appearance in 40 years.