New Delhi: Captain Kylian Mbappé marked his 100th appearance for France in spectacular fashion, scoring twice in a commanding 3-0 victory over Iraq on Tuesday to send the two-time world champions into the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32.
Playing in Philadelphia, France registered its second consecutive Group I win and maintained its perfect start to the tournament. Mbappé’s clinical display once again highlighted his importance to the French side as he continued his pursuit of the tournament’s top scorer award.
The French skipper opened the scoring in the 14th minute, firing a powerful long-range strike from around 20 yards after being set up by Michael Olise. Mbappé struck again in the 54th minute, capitalizing on a costly mistake by Iraq goalkeeper Ahmed Basil, who failed to clear the ball effectively. The goal took Mbappé’s World Cup tally to 16, drawing him level with legendary German striker Miroslav Klose.
France sealed the result in the 66th minute when Ousmane Dembélé converted another Olise assist with a fierce finish, netting his first goal of the tournament and extending the lead to 3-0.
With qualification already secured, France will now face Norway in their final Group I match, with top spot in the group at stake.
France head coach Didier Deschamps praised his side’s second-half performance, saying the team took complete control after a challenging first half. “We managed the game much better after the break and ensured qualification with two more goals,” he said.
Defender Lucas Digne described the victory as another important step in France’s World Cup campaign. “We know what we came here to achieve. We want to improve with every match, and this was another strong performance from the team,” he said.
Mbappé now has four goals in the tournament and continues to be one of the standout performers as France targets another deep World Cup run.
