Mbappé’s second goal gives France 3-0 win, closes Messi gap

Kylian Mbappé scored his second goal as France beat Iraq 3-0 in a World Cup group match in Philadelphia, bringing his World Cup tally to 16 goals in 16 games and moving him within two of Lionel Messi's record after a two‑hour delay caused by a lightning storm. The match was delayed for nearly two hours after a lightning storm struck Philadelphia. When play resumed, a build‑up orchestrated by Diniz created the opening for Mbappé’s second‑half strike. Ousmane Dembélé added a third goal, sealing a 3‑0 victory for France. The goal pushed the French side’s lead to a comfortable margin.

France 3-0 Iraq as Mbappé scores twice, match halted

Mbappé had already found the net in the first half, scoring France’s second goal. The later goal came after Iraq’s defense erred while attempting to play out from the back, gifting the French forward a clear chance. With the strike, Kylian Mbappé reached 16 goals in 16 World Cup matches. He overtook Ronaldo Fenômeno’s 15 and drew level with Miroslav Klose’s 16, leaving him just two behind Lionel Messi’s 18. Mbappé also became France’s all‑time top scorer with 60 goals in 100 appearances.

France reach World Cup knock-out stages with 3-0 win over Iraq

The milestone sparked a wave of discussion on social media. Fans highlighted the achievement and the proximity to Messi’s record.