Kylian Mbappe scored a brace to lead France to a 3-0 victory over Iraq, continuing his strong start at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in a match heavily disrupted by a severe thunderstorm.
The French forward opened the scoring in the 14th minute before adding a second goal after the restart, as France eventually regained control to seal a comfortable win.
However, the encounter was overshadowed by a prolonged weather interruption, with play suspended at half-time due to lightning activity in the area.
The delay lasted close to two hours as officials enforced FIFA’s strict lightning safety protocol.
Both teams were immediately taken off the pitch and evacuated to secure indoor areas, while fans were cleared from exposed sections of the stadium as a precaution.
Stadium announcements directed supporters to safer covered zones as heavy rain, lightning, and strong winds intensified around the venue.
Under FIFA regulations, matches cannot resume until there is a continuous 30-minute window without lightning detected within the safety radius.
Any new strike resets the countdown, contributing to the extended delay.
When conditions finally improved, players were brought back onto the pitch for a full re-warm-up session to regain match rhythm before the second half resumed under challenging, rain-affected conditions.
Despite the disruption, France maintained their composure after the restart, with Mbappe completing his brace to underline his influence on the match.
The result strengthens France’s position in the group, while also adding to Mbappe’s growing World Cup legacy.
He now has 16 World Cup goals, drawing level with Miroslav Klose on the all-time list and moving closer to Lionel Messi’s record.
Messi, however, remains ahead after also scoring a brace earlier in the day for Argentina, taking his tally to 18 World Cup goals, the highest in tournament history.
Mbappe’s latest performance further reinforces his status as one of the tournament’s standout players, with France manager Didier Deschamps backing him to eventually challenge the record.
Attention is also firmly on the Golden Boot race, where Mbappe remains among the leading contenders.
The French star, who won the award in 2022, is once again in contention in what is shaping up to be a tightly contested battle for the top scorer prize.
Messi, Mbappe, and Norway’s Erling Haaland headline the race, with several players already making early statements as the tournament progresses.
With both Mbappe and Messi delivering braces on the same day, the competition for individual honours and historic records is intensifying, setting up one of the most compelling Golden Boot battles in recent World Cup history.
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