Kylian Mbappé scored twice on his 100th international appearance as France defeated Iraq 3–0 to secure a place in the World Cup last 32.
The match on Monday was disrupted by a lengthy weather delay caused by thunderstorms, halting play for nearly two hours.
Mbappé opened the scoring before the interruption and later added a second goal after play resumed.
Ousmane Dembélé also got on the scoresheet to complete a comfortable victory for France.
The result maintained France’s strong form under coach Didier Deschamps.
Mbappé’s milestone appearance was marked by another decisive performance in attack.
Kylian Mbappé has now reached 16 career World Cup goals.
The tally places him level with former Germany striker Miroslav Klose on the all-time list.
He also moved to four goals in the current tournament, one behind Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race.
France dominated possession and quickly regained control after the weather delay.
Deschamps praised his team’s ability to stay focused despite the long interruption.
He said France picked up exactly where they left off before the suspension.
Dembélé’s goal came after criticism of his previous performance against Senegal.
Deschamps defended the winger, saying he still has full confidence in him.
The coach said the forward’s response showed character and resilience.
France now sit level on three points with Norway in Group I.
Both teams are set for a decisive group clash on Saturday.
Iraq remain in contention for a potential third-place qualification spot.
However, they may need a win in their final group game against Senegal to progress.
The match reinforced France’s status as one of the tournament favourites after another dominant display.
