France beat Iraq 3-0 in Group I of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Philadelphia. Kylian Mbappé scored twice and Ousmane Dembélé added a third as Les Bleus cruised to victory despite a lengthy weather delay at half-time.
France 2-0 Iraq
Goals: 1-0 Mbappé 14′, 2-0 Mbappé 54′, 3-0 Dembélé 66′
France faced Iraq in Matchday 2 of Group I at the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Philadelphia. Having beaten Senegal 3-1 in their opening fixture, Kylian Mbappé arrived at this match celebrating his 100th international cap, already sitting on 14 World Cup goals.
For Iraq, returning to the World Cup for the first time in 40 years, coach Graham Arnold made changes in goal, handing a start to Ahmed Basil in place of the experienced Jalal Hassan. Didier Deschamps made three changes from the Senegal win, bringing in Lucas Digne, Manu Koné and Bradley Barcola.
Mbappé strikes on his 100th cap
Iraq kicked off and immediately looked to defend deep, setting up with two compact blocks. France were on the front foot from the first whistle, with Manu Koné firing wide from outside the box in the second minute. .France continued to press, with Michael Olise having a shot blocked and Mbappé volleying wide.
The breakthrough came in the 14th minute: Mbappé combined with Olise on the right, received the ball back, opened his body and bent a left-footed shot into the far corner from 22 metres — his 15th World Cup goal. Ousmane Dembélé had a shot blocked shortly after as France looked to extend their lead.
Iraq grow into the game
Iraq were forced into an early substitution in the 26th minute when Aymen Hussein picked up an injury and was replaced by Ali Al-Hamadi. The substitute made an immediate impact, heading wide from a Doski cross shortly after coming on.
Iraq grew in confidence after the hydration break, winning their first corner and becoming more competitive in the challenge. Mbappé tried his luck from distance in the 40th minute but fired well over. France led 1-0 at the break, with the score flattering Iraq slightly given the French dominance.
Thunderstorm halts play in Philadelphia
At half-time, a severe thunderstorm struck Philadelphia, forcing a delay of nearly two hours before the second half could begin. The stadium screens warned fans to seek shelter, and both sets of players were forced to warm up again before the restart. The second half eventually got underway after a lengthy wait.
France ruthless after the restart
Iraq made a bright start to the second half, moving the ball forward quickly. However, France soon took control. In the 54th minute, Iraq gifted possession from a short goal-kick, with Dembélé pouncing on the loose ball inside their own box. He played it across goal for Mbappé, who slotted home into an empty net to make it 2-0.
In the 66th minute, Olise picked up the ball centrally and slid in Dembélé, who slammed France’s third goal home to seal the win. Olise was substituted off in the 68th minute, replaced by Rayan Cherki, with Dembélé also making way for Désiré Doué.
Iraq threaten but France see it out
Iraq had their moments in the second half, with Al-Hamadi going close on two occasions. Rebin Gharreb also fired wide after a neat move. Mbappé continued to threaten, hitting the post area and forcing a save from Basil in the 88th minute, before being replaced by Marcus Thuram in injury time. France saw out the game comfortably, with the final whistle confirming a 3-0 victory.
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