Mbappe Scores Twice as France Overcomes Lightning Delay in World Cup Win
France defeated Iraq 3-0 overnight Monday to Tuesday in the second round of the 2026 World Cup group stage, but the match belonged to Kylian Mbappe. He scored twice, pushing his World Cup total to 16 goals and moving into second place on the tournament's all-time scoring list.
The game was suspended for about two hours because of an unusual lightning storm, and the delay made it the longest match in World Cup history. France returned from the stoppage sharper and had little trouble closing out a convincing victory.
Mbappe was the driving force in France's attack throughout, leading moves forward and helping his team secure a second straight win. The result strengthened France's status as one of the leading contenders for the World Cup title.
The article also notes that Lionel Messi made history in parallel, scoring twice in Argentina's 2-0 win over Austria to reach 18 World Cup goals and overtake Miroslav Klose as the tournament's all-time top scorer. Mbappe, now 27, is two goals behind the record and is being presented as the main challenger to Messi's mark.
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