World Cup 2026 Corner: Mbappe's Brace Leads France to the Knock Out Stage

 

Kylian Mbappe continued his excellent goalscoring form at the 2026 FIFA World Cup by netting twice in France's 3-0 victory over Iraq. Les Bleus' win also secured their place in the knockout stage after collecting six points from their opening two matches.

 

Mbappe's Brace Helps France Cruise Past Iraq

Following their 3-1 victory over Senegal in the opening fixture, France targeted another three points against Iraq. Didier Deschamps' side started aggressively and were rewarded in the 14th minute when Mbappe opened the scoring with a stunning strike from just outside the penalty area.

The match experienced an unfortunate delay at half-time due to severe weather conditions. After play resumed, France continued to dominate proceedings and added two more goals. Mbappe completed his brace in the 54th minute before Ousmane Dembele made it 3-0 on 66 minutes, finishing off a fine assist from Michael Olise.

The comfortable victory leaves Les Bleus temporarily at the top of their group with six points, level with Norway but ahead on goal difference. Both nations will now battle for top spot when they meet in their final group-stage match.

Meanwhile, both Iraq and Senegal remain on zero points after suffering two consecutive defeats. However, neither side is mathematically eliminated yet, as one of them could still finish third and potentially qualify as one of the tournament's best third-placed teams.

Match Notes

France

• Les Bleus produced another solid performance, particularly in terms of game management and attacking play.
• However, France occasionally allowed Iraq too much possession, which disrupted their attacking rhythm at times.
• Deschamps' side can still improve their attacking shape, especially regarding the accuracy of their final pass.

Iraq

• Graham Arnold's men struggled to create meaningful attacking opportunities despite enjoying spells of possession.
• Iraq need to play with more verticality, as their build-up play was often too slow and ineffective.
• The Lions of Mesopotamia will require a much stronger attacking display against Senegal if they hope to finish the tournament on a positive note.

 

🇫🇷 France 3-0 Iraq 🇮🇶

World Cup 2026 – Group I

Stat	France	Iraq
Possession	58%	42%
Total Shots (On Target)	19 (9)	8 (2)
Expected Goals (xG)	2.74	0.61
Dangerous Attacks	56	27
Yellow Cards	1	2
Red Cards	0	0