France secured their place in the next stage of the World Cup with a commanding 3-1 victory over Iraq in a match that was interrupted by severe weather before Les Bleus resumed their dominant display.
The encounter began brightly for France, with captain Kylian Mbappé breaking the deadlock in the 14th minute. Michael Olise threaded a perfectly weighted pass into the path of the forward, who calmly whipped his effort into the right corner beyond the Iraqi goalkeeper. The strike not only gave France the lead but also saw Mbappé draw level with Brazilian legend Ronaldo on the World Cup all-time scoring chart on his 100th appearance for Les Bleus.
Shortly after halftime, the match was suspended as adverse weather forced players, officials and supporters to seek shelter. The delay lasted approximately 50 minutes before play resumed.
France wasted little time reasserting their control after the restart. Mbappé doubled the advantage in the 54th minute, this time finishing off a fine assist from Ousmane Dembélé to put Didier Deschamps’ side firmly in command.
The French continued to press, and Dembélé got on the scoresheet himself in the 66th minute after another excellent contribution from Olise, whose second assist of the night capped an outstanding creative performance.
Iraq managed to pull a goal back late in the contest, but it proved to be little more than a consolation as France comfortably saw out a 3-1 victory.
The result confirms France’s qualification for the knockout stage, underlining their status as one of the tournament favourites after another polished and clinical display despite the lengthy weather interruption. Iraq, meanwhile, bow out after a spirited effort that ultimately could not match the quality of the French attack.
