Kylian Mbappe marked his 100th cap for France with two goals, as his side coasted to victory over Iraq in Group I – and towards a World Cup knockout spot.
Mbappe had already continued his remarkable record at the tournament with a double in France’s opening game against Senegal, and he is relishing the battle with Lionel Messi for the golden boot. The fortunes of the team are his primary focus, though, and he brought up a century of international appearances by helping Les Bleus to a 3-0 win here – with Ousmane Dembele rounding out the scoring.
Iraq, meanwhile, had showed a resilience against Norway that belied the scoreline of their 4-1 defeat, and they showed more of that against France before half-time brought a weather delay amid heavy rain in Philadelphia. However, when play resumed two hours later, Iraq gifted Mbappe his second goal, before Dembele got in on the action.
Re-live all of the action from the Group I clash with our live blog below:
Read MoreFrance v Iraq delayed due to lightning as Fifa action World Cup 2026 weather protocol
What is World Cup lightning protocol? France v Iraq suspended after storms in Philadelphia
The controversial France midfielder enabling Kylian Mbappe to shine at World Cup
France vs Iraq LIVE
- France beat Iraq 3-0 in World Cup Group I game | Match aired on BBC
- 66' GOAL! Dembele grabs first tournament goal as France dominate [FRA 3-0 IRQ]
- 58' CROSSBAR! Olise's deft effort floats onto the woodwork
- 54' GOAL! Iraq gift Mbappe his second goal of the game [FRA 2-0 IRQ]
- 46' RESTART! Two-hour weather delay ends as second half begins
- 14' GOAL! Mbappe smashes home the opener on his 100th French cap [FRA 1-0 IRQ]
Deschamps hails complete control
04:00 , Alan Smith"In the second half, we were completely in control, bearing in mind that it wasn’t straightforward given what had happened. But putting the result beyond doubt is a very good thing; we’ve qualified tonight, even though I’m convinced that the third [match against Norway] will be decisive for our final position in the group."
Digne's 'perfect evening'
03:30 , Alan Smith"It’s another step forward for us.,” the France defender said. “We know what we came here for; we’ll keep working match by match and keep improving. I really enjoyed this match – we won 3–0 and kept a clean sheet; it’s been a perfect evening. I felt good; my team-mates and I know each other well."
State of play in Group I
03:02 , Alan SmithThat means with a round of games to go France and Senegal have six points each and will meet on Friday night in Boston to decide who progresses in first or second.
Senegal and Iraq face off in Toronto pointless but still in with a slim chance of progressing as a third-place finisher.
Full-time! Norway 3-2 Senegal
03:00 , Alan SmithAnd now it is full-time! Norway are into the knockout stages and Stale Solbakken races into the stands and up a flight of stairs to give his other half a big kiss on the lips.
Norway 3-2 Senegal
02:59 , Alan Smith100’ - We’re playing on. The Norway fans are whistling for full-time.
Norway 3-2 Senegal
02:59 , Alan Smith99’ - Senegal have a corner. We’re in the final minute. Jakobs finds Sarr and with the prospect of a hat-trick to earn his team a point he... puts his header over from six yards.
Norway 3-2 Senegal
02:57 , Alan Smith98’ - Senegal are probing, searching for a gap. Mbaye thinks he has found but sees a shot come off the boot of Ajer and away.
Norway 3-2 Senegal
02:57 , Alan Smith97’ - The corner is sent deep and Ciss arrives ferociously into the back of Ostigard, who takes a hefty knock to the head but wins a free kick that his team will be grateful for.
Norway 3-2 Senegal
02:55 , Alan Smith96’ - Now Mane wins a corner via Holmgren Pedersen, who is again down with cramp. Norway need him on the pitch and not down to 10 men for a minute...
GOAL! Norway 3-2 Senegal (I Sarr, 93)
02:53 , Alan SmithRight, then. Sarr has his second after the ball breaks fortuitously to him in the box via a botched headed clearance by Ajer. His finish is good, though, and Senegal have the sniff of a leveller.
Norway 3-1 Senegal
02:50 , Alan Smith89’ - What a block from Ciss. Bobb swings the ball goalwards but the Senegal substitute gets a brave head to the ball, diverting it over for a corner. From Odegaard’s delivery Ostigard puts a free header over.
There will be nine minutes added on owing to Mendy’s injury.
Norway 3-1 Senegal
02:48 , Alan Smith88’ - Haaland, you may be shocked to learn, remains hungry to score. He has a left-footed shot which briefly looks destined to go in blocked by Niakhate.
Norway 3-1 Senegal
02:45 , Alan Smith85’ - Bobb and Ostigard are on, replacing Sorloth and Heggem for the final few minutes. The Norway fans are doing their row.
Norway 3-1 Senegal
02:43 , Alan Smith83’ - Sarr tries to score with an overhead kick from Mane’s cross and from the rebound Jackson has a point-blank strike saved but is offside anyway.
Norway 3-1 Senegal
02:40 , Alan Smith81’ - Sarr has a shot that is still rising. And rising.
Norway 3-1 Senegal
02:40 , Alan Smith78’ - Senegal have not given up but there is a distinct shortage of intensity as the rain begins to fall gently. Norway are comfortable, awaiting chances to break, and Senegal do not look too likely to pull another goal back. Famous last words and all that.
Norway 3-1 Senegal
02:34 , Alan Smith74’ - A good spell of possession for Senegal culminates with Sarr having a shot blocked. Gueye then collides with Moller Wolfe and the Senegalese are asking for a penalty which will not be given.
Norway 3-1 Senegal
02:31 , Alan Smith71’ - Nusa is coming off, Schjelderup is coming on for Norway. Koulibaly’s evening is over, too, replaced by Pape Sarr.
Norway 3-1 Senegal
02:29 , Alan Smith68’ - Time for the hydration break. Booooooo! It’s apparently about to rain very heavily too.
Norway 3-1 Senegal
02:28 , Alan Smith66’ - Senegal are still trying here, knowing that a defeat would leave them relying on a win against Iraq on Friday night plus a combination of other results to scrape in as a third-place finisher.
Norway 3-1 Senegal
02:22 , Alan Smith63’ - Mendy is hobbling off. Diaw, on his 33rd birthday, is on for just a sixth cap - and will be up against one of the game’s greatest ever goalscorers. Camara is also replaced by Ciss.
It seems a bit daft that we will have a hydration break in a short few minutes.
Norway 3-1 Senegal
02:19 , Alan Smith59’ - A slight delay now as Mendy goes down injured. He appears to have hurt himself when trying to keep Haaland’s effort out.
GOAL! Norway 3-1 Senegal (Haaland, 58)
02:18 , Alan SmithThat stops Senegal’s resurgence. Pedersen catches Mane napping, the ball is worked from right to left. Nusa misses the initial attempt but it trickles across to Berg. He squares for Haaland and he powers home via the underside of the bar.
Norway 2-1 Senegal
02:16 , Alan Smith57’ - Mbaye is involved right away. providing for Camara, whose shot is a disappointment from a promising spot.
Norway 2-1 Senegal
02:15 , Alan Smith54’ - Now a double Senegal change. Jakobs and Mbaye are on for Diouf and Gueye.
GOAL! Norway 2-1 Senegal (I Sarr, 53)
02:14 , Alan SmithGame on as Ismaila Sarr halves the deficit, getting on the end of Mane’s lovely pass. Sarr is too strong for Moller Wolfe’s clumsy challenge and while it could have been a penalty the Senergal midfielder finishes to make this match very interesting again.
Norway 2-0 Senegal
02:11 , Alan Smith52’ - Jackson leaps high to meet a cross from the right but his header is caught by Nyland.
GOAL! Norway 2-0 Senegal (Haaland, 48)
02:08 , Alan SmithSenegal naively push too far up and the move breaks down with Odegaard leading a four-on-three break. The Arsenal captain then slides a pass past Koulibaly’s despairing slide. Haaland collects it and dispatches it into the top right corner.
Restarted! Norway 1-0 Senegal
02:05 , Alan Smith46’ - We’re back underway in New Jersey. Norway make their second change: Berg is in, Aursnes is out.
Substitute's history
01:52 , Alan SmithNOR 🇳🇴 1-0 🇸🇳 SEN (43') - Marcus Pedersen is only the SIXTH substitute in the entire history of the World Cup to score in the first half:
— MisterChip (English) (@MisterChiping) June 23, 2026
🇫🇷 1998: Dugarry (35' vs South Africa)
🇦🇷 2006: Cambiasso (31' vs Serbia & Mtg)
🇮🇹 2006: Materazzi (26' vs Czech Rep)
🇬🇷 2014: Samaris (42'…
'A deserved result'
01:51 , Chris Wilson at Philadelphia StadiumReaction to that result from Chris Wilson, who’s in place in Philadelphia...
“A deserved result for France, who will probably wonder how they didn’t end up winning by four, five or six goals.
“A great day for Kylian Mbappe too, who provided a reminder that he’s the man who’s best-placed to inherit the title of ‘world’s best’ once Messi retires!
“For Iraq, it was a commendable performance in parts, but they simply didn’t have enough to threaten Kes Blues, and the sloppy second goal was their undoing.”
Half-time! Norway 1-0 Senegal
01:51 , Alan Smith'A deserved result'
01:51 , Chris Wilson at Philadelphia StadiumReaction to that result from Chris Wilson, who’s in place in Philadelphia...
“A deserved result for France, who will probably wonder how they didn’t end up winning by four, five or six goals.
“A great day for Kylian Mbappe too, who provided a reminder that he’s the man who’s best-placed to inherit the title of ‘world’s best’ once Messi retires!
“For Iraq, it was a commendable performance in parts, but they simply didn’t have enough to threaten Kes Blues, and the sloppy second goal was their undoing.”
Full-time! France 3-0 Iraq
01:49 , Alan SmithWe got there eventually. France are into the knockouts with a game to spare, Mbappe looks in top form and the players behind him are thriving too - even if there remains room for improvement for the deepest squad in the tournament.
France 3-0 Iraq
01:48 , Alan Smith90’ - There will be two minutes added on. Remember, no hydration break.
France 3-0 Iraq
01:47 , Alan Smith89’ - Mbappe goes close again. He drives from halfway, sprinting with ease through the Iraq defence but his shot hits the side-netting and Deschamps decides it is time to sub his leading man off. Thuram is on for the final few minutes.
GOAL! Norway 1-0 Senegal (Holmgren Pedersen, 43)
01:45 , Alan SmithThree minutes before half-time, Koulibaly makes a mess of Odegaard’s through ball and gifts the ball to Holmgren Pedersen, an early substitute. He then shoots past Mendy, who should really save it.
France 3-0 Iraq
01:42 , Alan Smith86’ - The tempo is seeping away and it all feels a bit late in a friendly. Deschamps will be in the ideal position of feeling his team have played well here but there remains plenty of scope to improve as the tournament progresses.
France 3-0 Iraq
01:39 , Alan Smith83’ - Akliouche and Gusto have come on. Barcola and Kounde have come off. Again, what depth.
France 3-0 Iraq
01:38 , Alan Smith82’ - France are desperate to get Mbappe a hat-trick. Kone steals the ball and sets Barcola away. He could shoot but instead attempts to square for Mbappe. An Iraq defender intercepts.
France 3-0 Iraq
01:36 , Alan Smith79’ - Following that brief flirtation with positivity, Iraq are back under pressure. Mbappe wants a penalty after cutting in from the left and seeking contact from Sher. The referee waves at him to get up and play continues until Mbappe fires wide. Replays show Mbappe very much looking to “initiate the contact” as the referee in the Senegal match claimed.
France 3-0 Iraq
01:33 , Alan Smith75’ - What do I know? Al Hamadi now has a glorious opportunity. Farji’s inswinger from the left is a beauty and the Ipswich forward gets behind Saliba. The problem is, at full stretch, he is unable to connect with the ball cleanly and instead pokes tamely wide while giving himself cramp.
France 3-0 Iraq
01:30 , Alan Smith74’ - Iraq win a corner, via Barcola’s committed tracking back, and Iqbal puts in a teasing delivery from which substitute defender Sulaka heads wide. They are not going to get many better opportunities.
Norway 0-0 Senegal
01:28 , Alan SmithIt remains scoreless between Norway and Senegal approaching the half hour mark in that one. We’ll bring you regular updates from that one once the full-time whistle goes in Philly.
France 3-0 Iraq
01:27 , Alan Smith70’ - Iraq are trying to play the ball out from the back. It’s so dangerous when their opponents are so quick and, predictably, Barcola wins the ball back out wide.
'A reminder of France's depth'
01:25 , Chris Wilson at Philadelphia StadiumThe latest reaction from Chris Wilson at Philadelphia Stadium...
“While this France team is very much the Mbappe show on nights like this, that goal is a timely reminder that in Olise and Dembele, the France striker also has two attacking partners who are among the best in the world.
“A lovely finish from Dembele, and Mbappe looks very excited for his teammate.
“As I type, another reminder of France’s depth, as both Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki come on for Olise and Dembele.”
France 3-0 Iraq
01:24 , Alan Smith68’ - That is the final act for Dembele and Olise, with Cherki and Doue on for them. What depth!
Iraq make two more changes with Bayesh and Al-Ammari off for Farji and Sher.
This could get really ugly if France refuse to let up.
GOAL! France 3-0 Iraq (Dembele, 66)
01:23 , Alan SmithBut now Dembele scores - his first at a major tournament. Olise is majestic again in the build-up, feeding the ball through with the outside of his left boot, allowing Dembele to strike across Basil’s goal and into the bottom left corner.
France 2-0 Iraq
01:21 , Alan Smith65’ - Dembele takes another shot from range. This one is blocked for a corner. Digne delivers, Saliba rises to meet it and it is deflected for another corner. That is taken short and neatly worked to Dembele and he finds the side-netting.
'A howler from Basil'
01:21 , Chris Wilson at Philadelphia StadiumThe latest reaction from Chris Wilson at Philadelphia Stadium...
“For all of their brilliance in attack, it’s a shockingly simple situation that leads to France’s second. Mbappe has his second too after a howler from Basil.
“France look in the mood here, and some of the football on show since that second has been superb.”
France 2-0 Iraq
01:20 , Alan Smith61’ - Amyn and Sulaka are on for Iraq, Tahseen and Ismaeel have made way.
France 2-0 Iraq
01:15 , Alan Smith59’ - This is brilliant from France. Olise feeds Dembele in the box and his strike is parried by the keeper. Rabiot, under pressure, directs a headed rebound wide.
France 2-0 Iraq
01:14 , Alan Smith58’ - Now Olise hits the bar after Mbappe jinks forward and feeds the man who so often acts as his provider. They Bayern star spots Basil is off his line a touch and tries to chip the ball over him only to be denied by the bar.
GOAL! France 2-0 Iraq (Mbappe, 54)
01:10 , Alan SmithOh it’s a nightmare from Iraq.
Tahseen overhits a sideways pass to Basil and he miscontrols, allowing Dembele to square the ball for Mbappe to convert into a gaping net from eight yards.
France 1-0 Iraq
01:07 , Alan Smith51’ - The pitch looks very wet still. Surface water is splashing up as the ball is passed. It’s not slowing it down but these conditions remain far from ideal.
France 1-0 Iraq
01:03 , Alan Smith48’ -The pattern is set here with France dominating possession in the early minutes.
You do wonder how active they were during the delay.
01:01 , Alan SmithThey are also underway between Norway and Senegal in New Jersey. We’ll keep you abreast of what is happening there too.
Restarted! France 1-0 Iraq
01:01 , Alan Smith46’ - And we’re playing again. Remember, they lead thanks to Mbappe’s beauty.
Halfway there
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:59 , Alan SmithThey are blaring out Livin’ on a prayer while the groundstaff get their squidgeys to work. Graham Arnold, the Iraq coach, is singing along, which was amusing.
France vs Iraq LIVE
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:58 , Chris WilsonThe latest from Chris Wilson, who’s in place in Philadelphia...
“There’s finally light at the end of the tunnel after a delay of around two hours here.
“The fans in the Philadelphia Stadium are still in a great mood, and they’re in fine voice too as a slew of pop favourites are played over the tannoys.
“The stadium staff are just draining the pitch as we prepare to get back underway.”
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:56 , Alan Smith The start has been delayed by a further 10 minutes so the pitch can be drained a little more.
Getting ready to go
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:51 , Alan SmithWe’re almost ready to get back underway after a two-hour delay.
They will not have a hydration break. Small mercies and all that.
The teams are out on the pitch doing some drills and the stands are filling back up.
Restart at 7:50pm ET, 12:50pm BST
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:40 , Alan SmithFifa’s latest statement says: “The second half is delayed due to adverse weather conditions. The game will resume at 19:50 local time.”
Signs of hope?
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:32 , Alan SmithThe players appear to be making their way out to warm-up and there is now a suggestion that game will restart in the next 30 minutes but FIfa’s communications remains vague.
Attendance announced
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:12 , Alan SmithThe attendance is 68,324. The majority of whom have gotten very, very wet.
Deschamps has 'stopped' updating players about weather
Monday 22 June 2026 23:59 , Alan Smith"We're talking, we're recovering.,” he has told French media. “There's no point in anticipating it; there was an alert, then it disappeared, and then it came back... We're at the mercy of it.
"I've stopped giving them updates because it changes every 30 seconds. We'll see, depending on the time needed and whether or not there's any lightning... We're waiting, and then the important thing is to have enough time to get things going again. Almost like doing another warm-up, hoping it doesn't stop again..."
A not too common sight
Monday 22 June 2026 23:58 , Alan Smith#GetThisChip - The last time two World Cup matches overlapped — excluding the final group-stage matchday (where it's standard) — was on 25 June 1994 in the United States: Belgium-Netherlands and Saudi Arabia-Morocco, both Group F Matchday 2 fixtures, kicked off simultaneously.…
— MisterChip (English) (@MisterChiping) June 22, 2026
Fifa statement on Philly delay
Monday 22 June 2026 23:52 , Alan Smith“Fifa will follow the safety protocols established by the local authorities, and the match will resume as soon as it is safe to do so.
“The safety and security of all individuals is Fifa’s priority. We thank all fans for their understanding and cooperation.”
Fifa quietly scrubbed logos off World Cup stadiums – so one brand turned the cover-up into a marketing campaign
Monday 22 June 2026 23:48 , Alan SmithOrganisers have gone to extraordinary lengths to erase unofficial names and logos from NFL stadiums hosting tournament matches, as brands take creative approaches to gaining from the World Cup show, writes Lawrence Ostlere in Houston
Fifa scrubbed logos off World Cup stadiums – so one brand has got creative
Update soon
Monday 22 June 2026 23:40 , Alan SmithFans are starting to slowly make their way back into their seats and current word is that we will get an update on a potential restart time in the next five minutes.
Ribs, rainstorms and Republicans: Two weeks inside America’s supersized World Cup
Monday 22 June 2026 23:32 , Lawrence OstlereSpecial report: On his travels around Los Angeles, Houston and Dallas, Lawrence Ostlere finds football fans, life-giving food and an odd marriage between the World Cup and the USA
Ribs, rainstorms and Republicans: Two weeks inside America’s supersized World Cup
Messi rewatch
Monday 22 June 2026 23:26 , Alan SmithWhile we await further updates, those of us watching on from the UK are being treated to the highlights from Messi’s latest remarkable performance.
He was brilliant, of course, but there is a sense from these two games that they are even more of a one-man team than in Qatar - although that tournament started really badly for them.
The stadium is now pretty much empty
Monday 22 June 2026 23:19 , Alan Smith
A severe thunder storm
Monday 22 June 2026 23:16 , Alan Smith
Weather protocol explained
Monday 22 June 2026 23:12 , Alan SmithWith Fifa adhering to rules set by local authorities during the tournament, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says that if any lightning strike is detected within eight miles of a stadium the game has to be stopped.
That was a scenario seen several times during last year’s Club World Cup in the US, with six matches halted due to electrical storms.
If lightning strikes within eight miles, a half-hour countdown begins before play is permitted to resume. Any subsequent strike would reset that clock.
Issues could potentially arise if storms hit during the final round of group-stage games. The kick-off times of the two games in each group are synchronised to avoid affording an advantage to any nation by knowing what they need to do, although that may be unavoidable under such circumstances as a weather delay.
World Cup 2026 matches face prospect of long delays due to lightning
Another Mbappe landmark day
Monday 22 June 2026 23:05 , Alan SmithFRA 🇫🇷 1-0 🇮🇶 IRQ (14') - Mbappé is the THIRD player in the entire history of the World Cup to score in his 100TH cap for his national team:
— MisterChip (English) (@MisterChiping) June 22, 2026
🇩🇪 2010: Miroslav Klose (2 vs Australia)
🇺🇾 2018: Luis Suárez (1 vs Saudi Arabia)
🇫🇷 2026: KYLIAN MBAPPÉ (vs Iraq) pic.twitter.com/FbJzGYYZTu
Restart delayed
Monday 22 June 2026 23:01 , Alan SmithThe start of the second half will be delayed.
We are not sure for how long yet.
Plenty of time for France to turn on the style
Monday 22 June 2026 22:59 , Chris WilsonNot a bad half for the neutral as we’ve seen a superb goal and some lovely play from the France forward line, though the final pass has been lacking on a few occasions.
You get the sense that Didier Deschamps won’t actually be too happy with that performance, as his side should be another goal to the good at least.
Nevertheless, we’ve got plenty of time for France to turn on the style here.
Delays on the way?
Monday 22 June 2026 22:51 , Chris WilsonThe latest from Chris Wilson, who’s in place at the Philadelphia Stadium...
As we get to half-time, we might be seeing the first delay of the day.
“Please exit the open seating area and seek shelter in covered areas of the stadium” is the advice for fans at the Philadelphia Stadium. A good few have not bothered taking heed of that advice though.
“A severe thunderstorm is approaching” is the warning.
Half-time! France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:50 , Alan SmithAdded time passes by without anything happening. That’s the break and fans are being asked to leave their seats and hide under the concourse, which does not sound promising.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:46 , Alan Smith45’ - Iraq have a free kick about 40 yards out. They have got some bodies up but Saliba heads it away.
There will be three added minutes.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:43 , Alan Smith42’ - Ali’s last-ditch slide has potentially stopped Mbappe from scoring a remarkable goal. The France star produces a pirouette on the edge of the box with three white shirts close by. But just as it looks like he has developed enough space to shoot, Ali stretches a leg to win the ball. Hashem steps in to then clean it up.
The rain continues to get heavier.
'Fingers crossed for no thunder or lightning'
Monday 22 June 2026 22:42 , Chris Wilson at the Philadelphia StadiumThe latest from Chris Wilson, who’s in place at the Philadelphia Stadium this evening...
“The rain has begun falling in Philadelphia as fans scramble for their ponchos.
“It started suddenly but it’s already very heavy, and it’s affecting play almost right away with some loose touches and lunging tackles.
“Nothing interrupting play yet but we’ll need to keep our fingers crossed for no thunder and lightning.”
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:42 , Alan Smith40’ - Mbappe tries an audacious, ludicrous attempt from about 45 yards after spotting Basil off his line but the effort is off target. It came after Iraq lost concentration when protesting for a foul they thought was committed by Rabiot.
'Fingers crossed for no thunder or lightning'
Monday 22 June 2026 22:41 , Chris Wilson at the Philadelphia StadiumThe latest from Chris Wilson, who’s in place at the Philadelphia Stadium this evening...
“The rain has begun falling in Philadelphia as fans scramble for their ponchos.
“It started suddenly but it’s already very heavy, and it’s affecting play almost right away with some loose touches and lunging tackles.
“Nothing interrupting play yet but we’ll need to keep our fingers crossed for no thunder and lightning.”
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:40 , Alan Smith39’ - Twice in as many minutes Olise has failed to produce passes which would have set team-mates clear in front of goal. The first he tried to be too clever, the second was misplaced. But these are the kind of judgments that can be costly against the better teams.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:38 , Alan Smith37’ - The rain has started hammering down and fans are heading to the concourses in their droves, while even the stewards are trying to cover themselves with ponchos.
No indication yet of there being any thunder or lightning nearby - so let’s keep our fingers crossed there are no delays.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:37 , Alan Smith35’ - Kone has been excellent so far. Sure, the opposition may not be top level but he is dominating in the centre alongside Rabiot, providing the base from which the front four can thrive.
The only complaint is that they have not created too much in the box yet.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:34 , Alan Smith32’ - The break may have momentarily helped Iraq out but France are back on the ball, squeezing their opponents back. There is no great pace to the play but it’s the ability to spark into life that makes them so dangerous.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:31 , Alan Smith30’ - Much better and direct from Iran as Qasem forces a corner from Digne. That said Al Ammari’s inswinger is too deep and completely wasted.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:28 , Alan Smith27’ - And Al Hamadi’s first act is to meet a cross from Doski with a header which is sent wide. Iraq may be boosted a little by a half-sight of goal though.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:27 , Alan Smith25’ - We’re back underway. Ipswich’s Al Hamadi replaces Hussein, the Iraq centre-forward who hobbles off with an unspecified muscular injury.
'A few boos at the hydration break'
Monday 22 June 2026 22:25 , Chris WilsonThe latest from Chris Wilson, who’s in place at the Philadelphia Stadium this evening...
“A few boos as the two teams take the hydration break, though they’re more muted considering it’s an unpleasantly warm day in Philadelphia today.
“Still fairly overcast skies but the thunderstorms seem to be staying away for now, though it means it’s stayed uncomfortably warm and humid!”
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:23 , Alan Smith22’ - Tahseen nudges Mbappe when meeting a cross. It’s not a penalty but Iraq’s fans direct boos at the goalscorer anyway.
And that leads us to the hydration break.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:22 , Alan Smith21’ - Mbappe has now moved level with Brazil’s Ronaldo as the third top scorer in tournament history - three behind Messi, whom we presume the France star will overtake. If not in this tournament then in four years time.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:20 , Alan Smith20’ - France are toying with Iraq a little. It is both a joy to watch and a little uncomfortable. Barcola produces a majestic touch which garners ‘ooohs’ from the crowd, though his pass inside is narrowly out of Mbappe’s reach.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:18 , Alan Smith17’ - That is also Mbappe’s 11th in his past 12 appearances for the Bleus, making it 59 in total on his 100th appearance.
Iraq presently have every player back and France are still finding gaps to exploit. Olise causes havoc again, combining well with Kounde before the final pass falls short.
Mbappe moves to 15 World Cup goals
Monday 22 June 2026 22:18 , Chris Wilson at the Philadelphia StadiumReaction to that opener from Chris Wilson, who’s in place at the Philadelphia Stadium...
Mbappe was clearly in the mood from the first whistle – as evidenced by a bit of showmanship just before the opener – and now he has the goal he wanted, rifling in a great strike from just outside the area.
It was a lovely hit, though Iraq ‘keeper Ahmed Basil might wonder if he could have done better.
In any case, Mbappe now has his 15th World Cup goal as he chases new record holder Lionel Messi on 18.
GOAL! France 1-0 Iraq (Mbappe, 14)
Monday 22 June 2026 22:15 , Alan Smith14’ - And there it is. From you know who with a ferocious left-footed strike from just outside the box after Olise fed the ball in from the right. That’s his 15th World Cup goal.
France 0-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:14 , Alan Smith12’ - Iraq’s defending already has a sense of last-ditch about it. France are pushing and pushing, Olise and Mbappe pulling out some neat feints on the right before the former has a shot blocked, and you feel an opener is not far away.
Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website
