Kenya Sport

France Cruises Past Iraq as Mbappé Inches Closer to World Cup Scoring Record

France secured a comfortable 3–0 victory over Iraq, booking their place in the knockout rounds of the 2026 World Cup. The match was stretched close to four hours due to thunderstorm interruptions, but that didn’t slow Kylian Mbappé down. He opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a powerful left-footed strike, putting Les Bleus ahead early.

After heavy rain paused the game late in the first half and caused a two-hour break at halftime, France returned undeterred. Mbappé doubled his tally within ten minutes of the restart, capitalizing on a costly Iraqi defensive error. Ousmane Dembélé assisted this goal and later scored his first World Cup goal himself, adding a neat finish to seal the win.

Dominance from Start to Finish

The French team controlled the entire match, rarely needing to ease off the throttle. With Mbappé firing on all cylinders, France remains one of the top contenders for the tournament title.

Mbappé’s Record Chase

Kylian Mbappé now has 16 World Cup goals in as many games, averaging one goal per appearance. His latest brace brought him level with Miroslav Klose as the second-highest scorer in World Cup history. Only Lionel Messi, who scored twice in his match to reach 18 goals, sits ahead.

Mbappé’s recent form includes a hat-trick and two braces across his last three World Cup matches. While Messi continues to defy age with impressive performances, Mbappé seems destined to claim the all-time top scorer spot soon.

France Player Ratings vs. Iraq (4-2-3-1)

Ratings by FotMob

  • GK Mike Maignan - 7.1: Untroubled throughout, no saves required.
  • RB Jules Koundé - 7.4: Provided a steady outlet on the right but less involved in attack.
  • CB Dayot Upamecano - 7.9: Dominant defensively, rarely gave the ball away.
  • CB William Saliba - 7.2: Strong in aerial duels, comfortable defending.
  • LB Lucas Digne - 7.1: Some early inaccurate passes but otherwise composed and not challenged defensively.
  • CM Manu Koné - 7.3: Replaced injured Tchouaméni, worked hard winning possession and disrupting play.
  • CM Adrien Rabiot - 7.2: Quiet yet effective, covered a lot of ground and found teammates well.
  • RW Ousmane Dembélé - 8.6: Scored his first World Cup goal and assisted another after a slow start.
  • AM Michael Olise - 8.9: Creative force centrally, delivered his second assist of the tournament with some exquisite touches.
  • LW Bradley Barcola - 7.5: Stretched play on the left wing but lacked precision in key moments.
  • ST Kylian Mbappé - 9.2: Opened scoring with a thunderous shot and completed his brace after halftime, continuing his extraordinary World Cup journey.

Substitutes:

  • Rayan Cherki (68’ for Olise) - 6.9: Showed skill and flair during brief appearance.
  • Désiré Doué (68’ for Dembélé) - 6.2: Too little time to impact.
  • Malo Gusto (83’ for Koundé), Maghnes Akliouche (83’ for Barcola), Marcus Thuram (90’ for Mbappé) - No rating.

Insights from the Match

Dembélé’s goal and assist lifted some pressure off him, marking his best major tournament showing. Meanwhile, Michael Olise stood out as the team’s creative heartbeat, setting up multiple chances and leading dribbles despite the presence of world-class attackers around him.

Manu Koné impressed in midfield, stepping up admirably for the injured Aurélien Tchouaméni. It seems Koné currently holds a higher spot in Didier Deschamps’ midfield hierarchy than N’Golo Kanté.

Statistical Breakdown

France dominated shooting with 19 attempts versus Iraq's 4, none of which tested Maignan. Even with relatively balanced possession, France controlled the attacking zones with 42 touches inside Iraq’s box compared to just 7 from the opposition. Mbappé alone took seven shots, surpassing Iraq’s total efforts.

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