Mbappé scores twice as France beats Iraq 3-0 in World Cup weather delay

Kylian Mbappé scored twice on his 100th appearance for France as Les Bleus defeated Iraq 3-0 on Monday at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field, securing their place in the knockout rounds of the 2026 World Cup. The match was disrupted by the tournament's first weather delay, with thunderstorms extending the halftime break to two hours and 10 minutes.newsday

A Milestone Night for Mbappé

Mbappé's brace brought his career World Cup tally to 16 goals, tying Miroslav Klose for second on the all-time list, according to USA Today. The 27-year-old, appearing in his third World Cup, also surpassed Brazilian legend Ronaldo on the chart. Hours earlier on Monday, Lionel Messi had scored twice against Austria to claim the outright record with 18 World Cup goals.tsn+2

Ousmane Dembélé, the reigning Ballon d'Or winner, added the third goal to put the result beyond doubt. The victory gave France six points from two Group I matches after their 3-1 opening win over Senegal, all but guaranteeing their progression to the round of 32.tsn

Storms Halt Play at Halftime

France led 1-0 when play was paused at 5:50 p.m. EDT for a severe thunderstorm warning, the Associated Press reported. Sheets of rain lashed the field as scoreboard messages directed fans to seek shelter in covered areas of the stadium. The game did not resume until 8 p.m., making the halftime interval nearly two hours longer than the scheduled 15 minutes.newsday

Under FIFA's lightning protocol, play is suspended for 30 minutes whenever a strike is detected within eight miles of the venue, and each subsequent strike resets the clock. Crews used squeegees to clear standing water from the pitch before the teams returned to warm up.

A Historic Interruption

The delay was the first midgame weather stoppage at a World Cup in at least several decades, according to AP. FIFA has historically been reluctant to halt matches for weather — a 2014 group-stage game between the United States and Germany in Brazil continued through a torrential downpour that flooded parts of the surrounding city. World Cup regulations do not specify conditions that would trigger a delay, though they do provide for abandoned matches to be resumed from the point of interruption.

France and Iraq had played through heavy rain that began in the 37th minute before the storms intensified at the break. Most fans stayed in their seats through the downpour, donning ponchos, and were rewarded when Mbappé and Dembélé completed the job after the restart.beinsports+1