2026 World Cup: France dominates Iraq and advances to the round of 32

After reigning world champions Argentina, runners-up France also secured their place in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup with a commanding 3-0 victory over Iraq on Monday night. The match, the second of Group I fixtures, was played at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia but was interrupted for nearly two hours by a severe thunderstorm.

From the opening whistle, Didier Deschamps' men took control of the game, imposing a high press and quick ball movement. Les Bleus initially appealed for a penalty after Dayot Upamecano went down in the box, but neither the referee nor the VAR convinced them.

French dominance was finally rewarded in the 14th minute. Played in at the edge of the box, Kylian Mbappé unleashed a powerful left-footed shot that gave the Iraqi goalkeeper no chance, opening the scoring (1-0).

Overwhelmed by the technical quality of the French team, the Iraqis were under pressure for much of the game and failed to trouble Mike Maignan. Despite France enjoying a significant portion of possession, the pace of the game slowed somewhat before halftime, which was played in torrential rain.

At halftime, weather conditions forced organizers to interrupt the match for about two hours due to a thunderstorm warning.

At the restart, Les Bleus quickly extended their lead. Taking advantage of a huge error in the clearance between defender Tahseen and his goalkeeper Basil, Ousmane Dembélé recovered the ball before perfectly setting up Mbappé, who only had to finish to complete his brace (2-0, 54th minute).

Moments later, Michael Olise came very close to scoring the third goal, but his lob attempt crashed against the crossbar.

France finally sealed the match in the 66th minute. Set up by Olise, Dembélé finished with a precise, angled shot to make it 3-0.

The Iraqis tried to salvage some pride at the end of the match, notably with a shot from Al-Hamadi that went wide, but the French completely controlled the final minutes.

Thanks to this clear and convincing victory, Les Bleus have secured their qualification for the round of 32 and confirmed their ambitions in this 2026 World Cup. Led by a decisive Kylian Mbappé with a brace, the French team continues its journey with confidence before the knockout matches.