Mbappe Nears Messi's World Cup Record as France Overcomes Delay to Beat Iraq

France navigated a challenging, weather-delayed encounter against IraqTeam·Iraq, securing a decisive 3-0 victory in the 2026 FIFA World CupCompetition·FIFA World Cup. The match, held in Philadelphia, was significantly impacted by heavy rain and lightning, leading to a 131-minute delay that stretched the game to nearly four hours from its initial kick-off.

Kylian MbappePlayer·Kylian Mbappe was central to France's success, netting two goals that propelled him further into the World Cup record books. His first strike came in the 14th minute with a powerful effort from the edge of the area, followed by a tap-in in the 54th minute after a defensive miscue from IraqTeam·Iraq. These two goals brought Mbappe's total World Cup tally to 16, placing him level with Germany's Miroslav KlosePlayer·Miroslav Klose for the most goals in the tournament's history. This achievement also positions him just two goals behind Lionel MessiPlayer·Lionel Messi, who, on the same day, established a new benchmark of 18 World Cup goals with a double in Argentina's 2-0 win against Austria.

Mbappe's brace against IraqTeam·Iraq marked his second double of the 2026 tournament, bringing his current competition total to four goals, one behind Messi in the Golden Boot race. Earlier in the tournament, on June 16, Mbappe had already made history by surpassing Olivier GiroudPlayer·Olivier Giroud to become France's all-time leading goalscorer, reaching 58 international goals in his 99th appearance during France's 3-1 opening victory against Senegal.

France's coach, Didier Deschamps, acknowledged the difficult circumstances following the win. "The first half was good. In the second half, we picked up where we left off, bearing in mind that it wasn't easy given what happened, and we managed to put the game beyond reach. That's a very good thing," Deschamps stated.

IraqTeam·Iraq forward Ali Al-Hamadi reflected on the impact of the delay and Mbappe's quality. "You have one moment of excellence from one of the best players in the world. And then we have to go inside and wait for an hour and a half. You know, it's really difficult to come out and keep the same intensity against these great players. And in the end I think we made too many mistakes again," Al-Hamadi commented.

With victories in both of their Group I matches – a 3-1 win against Senegal and this 3-0 triumph over IraqTeam·Iraq – France has comfortably secured their passage to the knockout rounds (last 32) of the 2026 FIFA World CupCompetition·FIFA World Cup. Their strong start sets a confident tone as they prepare for their final Group I fixture against NorwayTeam·Norway on June 26.