Kylian Mbappe shone once again for France, scoring twice in a 3-0 victory over Iraq during their opening match of the 2026 World Cup, which was interrupted by severe weather delays. The match saw a lengthy stoppage of nearly two hours before the second half could commence due to thunderstorms in the area.

Mbappe's Historic Performance

With his two goals, Mbappe recorded his second brace of the tournament, bringing his total World Cup goals to 16, which ties him with former record-holder Miroslav Klose. Earlier on the same day, Lionel Messi set a new record of 18 career World Cup goals with a brace in Argentina's 2-0 win over Austria. Mbappe's impressive performance also places him just one goal behind Messi in the race for the 2026 Golden Boot.

France's Dominance and Iraq's Struggles

Ousmane Dembele, the reigning Ballon d'Or winner, also contributed to France's scoring after halftime, helping the two-time champions secure their second win in the tournament, putting them in a strong position with 6 points. France is close to securing a place in the knockout stage, contingent on the outcome of the match between Norway and Senegal, which kicked off around the same time as the delayed second half in Philadelphia.

Iraq, on the other hand, remains in contention for a knockout spot despite their loss, needing a victory in their final group match against Senegal and some favorable results elsewhere. They may face challenges without Aymen Hussein, who scored their only goal in the tournament opener but left the match against France in the 26th minute due to injury.

France dominated the match from the start, with Mbappe opening the scoring in the 14th minute. After receiving a pass from Michael Olise, he unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area that found the back of the net. The second goal came after a mistake from Iraq during a goal kick, allowing Mbappe to tap in from close range after Dembele set him up. Dembele then scored his goal 12 minutes later, finishing low past the Iraqi goalkeeper Ahmed Basil.

As the match concluded, the weather delays added an unexpected layer of drama, but France's victory was never in doubt.