PHILADELPHIA, United States – France's 3-0 victory over Iraq ultimately became a secondary story. So too did another brace from Kylian Mbappé, who has now scored four goals in two matches. Following the scheduled drinks break, heavy rain swept across Philadelphia Stadium. The downpour itself was not enough to halt play, despite severe weather warnings, as in the United States the decisive factor is the risk posed by lightning rather than rainfall.
At half-time, organisers decided to suspend the match because of electrical storms in the vicinity of the stadium, citing the danger to supporters, players, coaching staff and match officials. After a two-hour delay, play resumed and the second half was completed without further incident. The weather interruption was an unusual situation – another in a World Cup already producing its fair share of unexpected moments. Officials had warned that such scenarios were possible, and this became the first match of the tournament to be affected. It is unlikely to be the last.
On the pitch, France was facing Iraq in what was, on paper, their easiest fixture of Group I. Didier Deschamps made three changes from the opening win over Senegal: Lucas Digne replaced Theo Hernández at left-back, Manu Koné came in for Aurélien Tchouaméni in midfield, while Bradley Barcola took Désiré Doué's place on the wing. The most notable tactical adjustment saw Michael Olise deployed permanently in the number 10 role behind Mbappé, with Ousmane Dembélé moving out to the right flank.
Olise has quickly become Mbappé's key attacking partner. He proved decisive when France struggled to break down Senegal, and once again he provided the spark. In the 13th minute, the Bayern Munich winger laid the ball back into Mbappé's path, and the Real Madrid forward unleashed a powerful left-footed strike from outside the box that gave Basil no chance.
The storm gradually drained the rhythm from the contest. Iraq's brightest attacking hope, Hussein, was forced off through injury, while France eased off the intensity as the game became increasingly fragmented by fouls and stoppages. The closing moments of the first half confirmed what had become inevitable: the match was suspended. Initially, the delay was set at 30 minutes while officials monitored the weather. That half-hour eventually turned into a two-hour wait, with uncertainty over whether the game would resume at all.
When play finally restarted, France quickly reasserted their dominance. Dembélé, whose influence had been overshadowed by his fellow forwards, emerged as one of the standout performers. The Paris Saint-Germain attacker underlined his importance with a goal and an assist. A costly mistake while playing out from the back saw Iraq lose possession inside their own penalty area. The loose ball fell kindly to Dembélé, who squared for Mbappé to tap home his second of the evening.
France continued to press for more. Olise struck the crossbar with an audacious chip, while Dembélé was denied by the Iraqi goalkeeper after another dangerous effort. Olise then capitalised on a duel won by Adrien Rabiot before setting up Dembélé, who sealed the 3-0 victory. Mbappé pushed relentlessly for his hat-trick and came close to adding a fourth, but fortune deserted him on that occasion.
The French national team comfortably passed a straightforward test despite the extraordinary weather disruption. Their defensive solidity remains intact, their physical superiority is evident, and their attacking machine is operating at full capacity. Olise has firmly established himself as the team's second creative force, Dembélé has made a compelling statement, and Mbappé looks determined to surpass Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Mikel Oyarzabal in the race to finish as both the World Cup's leading scorer and its outstanding player.
Photos by Ayman Aref Mohamed Saad El Din
