Philadelphia, June 23: In a stunning display, Kylian Mbappé scored twice in his 100th international match, leading France to a 3-0 victory over Iraq. With this win, France secured their spot in the Round of 32 with one match remaining.
Mbappé has now scored two or more goals in six FIFA World Cup matches, the highest for any player in tournament history. His two goals in this match brought his total to four for the tournament, placing him just behind Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.
France opened the scoring in the 14th minute. Following a pass from Michael Olise, Mbappé unleashed a powerful left-footed shot from nearly 20 yards out, finding the back of the net.
The second goal resulted from a significant error by the Iraqi team. A miscommunication between Zaid Tahseen and goalkeeper Ahmed Basil allowed the ball to reach Ousmane Dembélé, who quickly assisted Mbappé for an easy finish.
Mbappé’s 15th World Cup goal was impressive, while his 16th came from the opponent’s mistake. He began the match trailing Ronaldo’s record of 15 World Cup goals but quickly equaled and surpassed it. Now, he stands tied with Miroslav Klose at 16 goals, just one behind record-holder Lionel Messi.
Dembélé was rewarded for his team-first attitude just 12 minutes later. Olise provided another excellent pass, and Dembélé scored his first-ever World Cup goal.
France’s next match will be against Norway. Regardless of the outcome, the team is already through to the knockout stage. Meanwhile, Mbappé will aim for the Golden Boot and the record for the most goals in the tournament.
Additionally, he will strive to reach 103 international matches, a milestone set by his long-time coach Didier Deschamps. If France progresses and Mbappé plays all matches, he could match this figure by the Round of 16.
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