France has officially booked their place in the World Cup last 32 with a game to spare. Led by Kylian Mbappe’s ruthless double, the French squad secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Iraq in Philadelphia.

The match took an unprecedented turn at half-time when severe storms rolled into the area. What was supposed to be a routine break stretched into a dramatic two-hour delay due to lightning concerns before play could safely resume.

When the action restarted, France quickly dashed any Iraqi hopes of a comeback. Alongside Mbappe’s brilliance, Ousmane Dembele found personal redemption by scoring his long-awaited first major international tournament goal, beautifully assisted by Michael Olise.

Mbappe continues to prove why he is the most feared forward in world football. His brace takes his tournament tally to four and his all-time World Cup goal count to 16, putting him just two goals behind Lionel Messi’s record.

With six points secured and a flawless start to the tournament, Didier Deschamps’ side sits comfortably at the top of their group. They will look to maintain their perfect record when they face Norway in their final group stage match on Friday.

Stay tuned to o9news for more live updates from the 2026 World Cup!