France reached the World Cup knockout stage with one game to spare after beating Iraq 3-0 in Philadelphia on Monday.
Kylian Mbappe scored twice on his 100th appearance for France. Ousmane Dembele also scored as the French team continued its strong start to the tournament.
Mbappe Leads France to Victory
Mbappe opened the scoring in the 14th minute. The France captain finished calmly after his teammates created the chance.
Dembele added France’s second goal before Mbappe struck again early in the second half. His second goal secured the win and confirmed France’s place in the knockout rounds.
France had already beaten Senegal 3-1 in their opening match.
Storm Delays Match
Heavy rain hit Philadelphia near the end of the first half. Officials stopped the match at halftime because of a severe storm.
Fans left the open seating areas and moved to covered sections inside Lincoln Financial Field. Most of the stadium seats are uncovered, so thousands of supporters gathered in the concourses.
The second half started more than two hours later. It became the first weather delay at this World Cup.
Tournament rules in the United States require officials to stop games when storms move close to the stadium.
Mbappe Closes Gap on Messi
Mbappe has now scored 16 World Cup goals in 16 matches. He trails Lionel Messi by only two goals.
Messi scored twice for Argentina against Austria earlier on Monday and raised his World Cup total to 18 goals.
Mbappe also increased his international record to 60 goals in 100 appearances for France.
The Real Madrid star became France’s all-time leading scorer during the opening win over Senegal. He passed Olivier Giroud’s previous record of 57 goals.
France have already qualified for the knockout stage, and Mbappe will look to add to his tally in the team’s final group match.
