Mbappe nets brace as France beat Iraq 3-0; Dembele scores first World Cup goal

Kylian Mbappe scored a second consecutive brace as France beat Iraq 3-0 in a storm-delayed Group I match in Philadelphia. After Lionel Messi had scored twice against Austria earlier in the evening, Mbappe's brace left him one behind his former Paris Saint-Germain team-mate in the Golden Boot race and two shy of the Argentine's tournament tally of 18.

The win clinched a place in the round of 32 for Les Bleus ahead of their group-decider with Norway. Mbappe opened the scoring with a thumping strike from the edge of the box, but France laboured through a first half and started the second sluggishly after a two-hour suspension.

A calamitous short goal-kick by Iraq led to a second in the 54th minute when Ousmane Dembele squared for Mbappe, and Michael Olise slipped Dembele through in the 66th for the Ballon d'Or winner's first World Cup goal. Mbappe came close to a third before leaving to a standing ovation.

United States, Philadelphia

kylian mbappe, ousmane dembele, michael olise, france, iraq, world cup, golden boot, ballon d'or, philadelphia, group i