Neither the rain, nor the lightning, nor a field turned into a swamp—let alone the outclassed Iraqi national team—could stop Kylian Mbappé. In a rain-soaked match with epic overtones, the French superstar shone with a two-goal performance to lead France to a resounding 3-0 victory, securing their spot in the World Cup round of 16.
A Hundred Battles and a Historic Hunt
The match at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia was no ordinary one for Mbappé: it marked his 100th appearance in a Les Bleus jersey. And what a way to celebrate.
With goals in the 14th and 54th minutes, the 27-year-old forward reached 16 World Cup goals, tying Germany’s Miroslav Klose for second place all-time and surpassing Brazilian legend Ronaldo. Now, Kylian has his sights set on the new all-time record holder, Lionel Messi, who had reached 18 goals just hours earlier.
“I just think about helping my team,” Mbappé confessed humbly. “By helping my team, I score goals, and when you score goals, of course, you get closer to that level.”
His second goal of the night was a work of art: a powerful left-footed strike (his so-called “weak foot”) from the edge of the box that left Iraqi goalkeeper Ahmed Basil with no chance; Basil was making his first start of the tournament after captain Jalal Hassan conceded four goals against Norway.
A downpour that brought Philadelphia to a standstill
The match had to weather the fury of nature. Right at halftime, with France leading 1-0, a severe thunderstorm forced play to be suspended for more than two hours.
The stadium’s video boards instructed the 68,234 spectators to seek shelter. While some brave souls wrapped themselves in ponchos and waved French flags beneath the leaking eaves, others simply fled toward the exits. On the field, maintenance crews struggled with water scoops to remove water from the waterlogged turf.
“It was very difficult, because we had to stay focused and in the game while in the locker room,” Mbappé said of the extremely long break.
When play resumed, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, Ousmane Dembélé, joined the scoring spree to reward the stoic fans who weathered the storm, sealing the final 3-0 score.
With this result, France advances decisively to the next round, making it clear that, come rain, thunder, or lightning, they are serious contenders for the title.
