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Kylian Mbappe continued his superb form by netting another brace as France secured their second straight win at the 2026 World Cup with a 3-0 triumph over Iraq on Monday evening. After watching Lionel Messi score twice against Austria earlier in the day, Mbappe matched that feat in a rain and storm-interrupted Group I clash in Philadelphia. His double leaves him one goal behind his former Paris Saint-Germain colleague in this year’s Golden Boot race and two adrift of Messi’s overall World Cup tally of 18 goals.

The Real Madrid forward opened the scoring with a sensational strike from the edge of the box, though France’s performance dipped for much of the first half, and they began the second half sluggishly following a two-hour delay due to bad weather. However, Les Bleus were handed their second goal on a platter in the 54th minute after Iraq made a mess of a short goal-kick, allowing Ousmane Dembele to square the ball for Mbappe to tap in.

France’s attack suddenly came alive thereafter, with Michael Olise producing a delightful through-ball in the 66th minute that enabled Dembele to net his first-ever World Cup goal. Mbappe came close to completing his hat-trick late on but had to settle for two goals before leaving the pitch to a standing ovation in the final minutes.

Below are the player ratings as Didier Deschamps’ side booked their spot in the round of 32 ahead of their final Group I match against Erling Haaland’s Norway on Friday.

Goalkeeper & Defence

Mike Maignan (6/10): The AC Milan goalkeeper had virtually nothing to do all evening.

Jules Kounde (6/10): Committed a couple of defensive lapses but spent most of the match advancing forward down the flank.

Dayot Upamecano (6/10): The Bayern Munich centre-back had a relaxed outing and handled everything that came his way with ease.

William Saliba (5/10): Barely tested until he completely lost track of Ali Al-Hamadi in the box, fortunate that the striker couldn’t make proper contact with the ball.

Lucas Digne (6/10): Offered solid support to Barcola on the left, and did well to disrupt Al-Hamadi when the striker escaped Saliba’s attention.

Midfield

Manu Kone (6/10): Replaced Aurelien Tchouameni and impressed with his strength and anticipation, consistently breaking up Iraq’s play.

Adrien Rabiot (6/10): The AC Milan midfielder’s passing was nearly flawless, and he almost scored with a header shortly after the hour mark.

Attack

Michael Olise (8/10): While slightly fortunate to earn an assist for a simple first-time pass to Mbappe, his brilliant through-ball for Dembele’s goal showcased his quality. Unlucky not to score himself when his exquisite chip struck the crossbar.

Ousmane Dembele (8/10): Showed sharp anticipation to capitalise on a misplaced pass and set up Mbappe’s second goal before calmly finishing off Olise’s pass for his maiden World Cup strike.

Bradley Barcola (6/10): Displayed pace and flair but lacked end product in the final third.

Kylian Mbappe (8/10): Opened the scoring with a stunning long-range effort and added another from close range thanks to Dembele’s assist, keeping his Golden Boot hopes alive.

Substitutes & Manager

Rayan Cherki (6/10): Replaced Olise midway through the second half and provided fresh energy.

Desire Doue (6/10): Came on for his PSG teammate Dembele on the right wing and looked lively.

Malo Gusto (N/A): Entered the match at right-back for Kounde with under 10 minutes remaining.

Maghnes Akliouche (N/A): Part of a late double substitution with Gusto, replacing Barcola.

Marcus Thuram (N/A): Featured briefly, coming on for Mbappe in stoppage time.

Didier Deschamps (7/10): After a strong start, France lost some rhythm before benefiting from Iraq’s costly error. Deschamps will be pleased to see Dembele finally open his World Cup account, assisted once again by Olise. The midfield still lacks perfect balance, but France’s attacking depth remains unmatched in the tournament.