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France v Iraq: World Cup 2026 - live
The Guardian • • general
Key Points:
- France leads Iraq 1-0 at half-time in a World Cup match in Philadelphia, with Kylian Mbappé scoring a powerful goal on his 100th game for France.
- Iraq has shown resilience and physicality, with notable performances from Ali al-Hamadi, despite poor final passes and losing their captain Aymen Hussein to injury.
- The match has been affected by heavy rain and a tornado warning in Philadelphia, causing interruptions and a hydration break that some commentators deemed excessive.
- Both teams made three changes to their line-ups, with France fielding Lucas Digne, Manu Koné, and Bradley Barcola, while Iraq introduced goalkeeper Ahmed Basil and midfielder Zidane Iqbal.
- Mbappé is chasing the all-time World Cup goal record, currently held by Lionel Messi, and is noted for having the highest goals-per-match average among multi-tournament players.
