Not even a thunderstorm could stop Kylian Mbappé. The French striker scored a double in France’s 3-0 victory over Iraq, in a match interrupted for more than an hour in Philadelphia due to adverse weather conditions. With his two goals, the French captain reached 16 goals in World Cups, equaling Miroslav Klose’s mark and being just two goals away from Lionel Messi’s all-time record.
The match, corresponding to the second day of Group I of the 2026 World Cup, began with French dominance. Mbappé opened the scoring in the 14th minute after taking advantage of an error in the Iraqi start and finishing with precision against the rival goalkeeper.
However, shortly after halftime, a thunderstorm forced the game at Philadelphia Stadium (Lincoln Financial Field) to be temporarily suspended. The organization activated the security protocol and players, referees and fans had to wait more than an hour before the resumption.
Mbappé picked up the story where he left it
When the ball rolled again, Mbappé continued making history. In the 54th minute he appeared inside the area to score 2-0 and reach 16 World Cup goals, a figure that places him alongside Miroslav Klose among the top scorers in the history of the competition.
The Frenchman had already established another outstanding record hours before by becoming the fastest player to reach 15 goals in a World Cup, needing only 16 games to achieve it.
Ousmane Dembélé completed the rout in the 64th minute with a precise shot that left the Iraqi goalkeeper with no options and sealed the final 3-0.
Two goals behind Messi
The day had a direct impact on the historical table of World Cup scorers. Hours earlier, Lionel Messi had extended his record by reaching 18 goals after his double against Austria.
Now, Mbappé has 16 and was only two scores behind the Argentine’s record. Unlike other great scorers in history, the Frenchman still has room to continue expanding his numbers in this edition and in future World Cups.
At just 27 years old, he has already accumulated goals in Russia 2018, Qatar 2022 and the United States, Mexico and Canada 2026, establishing himself as one of the most decisive attackers the competition has seen.
France is already in the round of 16
Beyond the individual records, France fulfilled its main objective. The team led by Didier Deschamps reached six points and mathematically secured its qualification for the round of 16 with one day’s notice.
The storm stopped the game for more than an hour, but it did not stop Mbappé. The French striker responded once again on football’s biggest stage and keeps alive the pursuit of a brand that seemed untouchable. The next name in his sights is Lionel Messi.