France sealed their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 with a composed 3-0 victory over Iraq in Philadelphia, powered once again by Kylian Mbappé who marked his 100th international appearance with a brace.
The result was rarely in doubt after France struck early through Mbappé in the 14th minute. Set up by Michael Olise, the Real Madrid forward unleashed a powerful left-footed strike from distance to give Les Bleus immediate control of the match.
Despite a thunderstorm delay disrupting rhythm, France stayed comfortably in charge throughout, with Iraq struggling to create meaningful chances against the 2018 champions and 2022 finalists.
Mbappé’s second came in fortuitous fashion but carried statistical significance. A poor goal kick from Zaid Tahseen and goalkeeper Ahmed Basil gifted possession to France, allowing Ousmane Dembélé to square for Mbappé to tap in and reach his 16th World Cup goal, drawing him level with Miroslav Klose on the all-time scoring list.
Dembélé then added a third in the 66th minute, finishing clinically after being released by Olise to round off a dominant display from Didier Deschamps’ side.
The victory also strengthens Mbappé’s position in the Golden Boot race, with the France captain now on four goals for the tournament, just behind Lionel Messi.
France will finish their group stage campaign against Norway knowing their place in the knockout rounds is already secured, with the final match set to decide group positioning rather than qualification.
Mbappé’s brace also extended his extraordinary World Cup record, with the forward now becoming the first player to score two or more goals in six separate matches at the tournament.
