This match in Philadelphia had everything: a lightning storm, a suspension of over two hours - and then a Kylian Mbappé who, after the restart, picked up exactly where he had left off. The final score was 3-0 against Iraq, sending France through to the round of 32 ahead of schedule.
Mbappé had already set the tone before the weather-related stoppage. In the 14th minute he collected a pass from Michael Olise on the right half-space, turned and struck with his left foot from around 20 metres into the far corner - utterly unstoppable for goalkeeper Ahmed Basil. It was the captain's 100th international appearance in the shirt of the Équipe Tricolore. Shortly after the goal, a VAR check in the 28th minute caused a brief interruption, before heavy rain moved in from the 37th minute. At half-time, FIFA sent both teams back to the dressing rooms due to lightning strikes near the stadium - for more than two hours.
After the restart, France needed just nine minutes to extend their lead. A short Iraqi goal kick fell straight to the opposition; Ousmane Dembélé won possession and rolled the ball across to Mbappé, who tapped in from close range in the 54th minute. Twelve minutes later Dembélé put the result beyond doubt himself: Olise sent him in behind on the right flank, and Dembélé finished low and powerfully into the left corner - 3-0 in the 66th minute. It was his first goal at a major tournament in around 20 appearances at World Cup and European Championship level.
During the middle portion of the second half both teams made six further substitutions in total, including Dembélé and Olise - the two assist-makers - coming off together in the 68th minute. The statistics clearly reflected the balance of power: France registered 19 shots to Iraq's four, and Iraq failed to muster a single shot on target across the full 90 minutes.
With his 15th and 16th World Cup goals, Mbappé drew level with Miroslav Klose in the all-time scoring charts - only Lionel Messi currently stands ahead of him, with 18 goals. For Iraq, who had already lost their opening match against Norway, the tournament is now all but over after two defeats. It is only the country's second-ever World Cup appearance - after their debut in Mexico in 1986, when they also lost all three group-stage matches.
