By Daniel Akinte
France took a major step towards the knockout rounds of the 2026 World Cup with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Iraq in a weather-disrupted encounter in Philadelphia on Monday night.
Despite concerns that severe thunderstorms could force a postponement, Didier Deschamps’ side remained focused and eventually overwhelmed their resilient opponents to secure a second consecutive win in Group I.
Les Bleus dominated possession from the outset and finally found their breakthrough midway through the first half. Michael Olise recycled possession on the right flank before feeding captain Kylian Mbappé, who needed just one touch to create space before curling a superb effort into the far corner beyond Ahmed Basil.
The hydration break offered Iraq a brief respite from relentless French pressure, but their evening suffered another setback when influential striker Aymen Hussein was forced off through injury. Substitute Ali Alhamadi brought energy to the attack, though Iraq struggled to trouble Mike Maignan as heavy rain intensified.
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France continued to dictate the tempo, moving the ball with confidence and precision across the pitch. Olise and Ousmane Dembélé repeatedly stretched the Iraqi defence with their pace and movement, while Adrien Rabiot and Aurélien Tchouaméni controlled proceedings in midfield. Although Iraq remained disciplined defensively for long periods, they found it difficult to retain possession and build meaningful attacks against the French press.
The match was then halted for almost an hour at half-time due to lightning concerns in the area. When play eventually resumed on a soaked surface, France wasted little time extending their lead.
A costly defensive mix-up gifted the Europeans their second goal. Hussein Ali’s attempted short free-kick caught goalkeeper Basil off guard, allowing Dembélé to seize possession and square for Mbappé to tap home his second of the night.
The second goal effectively ended any hopes of an Iraqi comeback. France grew increasingly confident and began creating opportunities at regular intervals. Olise came close to adding his name to the scoresheet when he spotted Basil off his line and attempted an audacious chip that rattled the crossbar. Moments later, Rabiot found himself unmarked inside the penalty area but directed a free header wide of the target.
Dembélé eventually got on the scoresheet in the 67th minute, finishing clinically after being picked out by another incisive Olise pass. The winger’s composed finish capped an impressive individual performance and highlighted France’s attacking depth.
Deschamps used the latter stages of the match to rotate his squad and preserve energy ahead of the final group fixture. France maintained control throughout the closing minutes, keeping possession intelligently and limiting Iraq to speculative efforts from distance. Mbappé nearly completed his hat-trick late on, but Basil produced a fine save to deny the French captain.
The victory leaves France firmly in control of Group I and on the verge of securing qualification for the knockout rounds. With six points from two matches, Les Bleus have reinforced their status as one of the tournament favourites. Iraq, meanwhile, face an uphill battle to keep their World Cup hopes alive and will likely need a positive result in their final group-stage encounter to stand any chance of progressing. Their spirited effort was commendable, but France’s superior quality ultimately proved decisive on a challenging night in Philadelphia.
