Philadelphia, June 23 (V7N)- Despite severe thunderstorms and a prolonged interruption lasting more than two hours, the France national football team delivered a dominant 3-0 victory over Iraq national football team in their FIFA World Cup Group “I” encounter at Lincoln Financial Field.
The match, which began at 3 am Bangladesh time on Tuesday (June 23), was suspended shortly after halftime due to intense lightning activity over Philadelphia. Stadium lights were temporarily shut down as safety protocols were enforced, and play only resumed around 6 am after conditions improved.
Before the interruption, France had already taken control of the game, with captain Kylian Mbappé scoring a brilliant opening goal in the first half to give his side a 1-0 lead.
When play resumed, France quickly reasserted dominance. In the 54th minute, Mbappé capitalized on a defensive error from Iraq to score his second goal of the match, further extending France’s advantage. The goal marked his fourth of the tournament and his 16th career World Cup goal, equaling German legend Miroslav Klose in the all-time scoring charts.
Later in the match, Ousmane Dembélé added a third goal, completing a clinical performance for the French side and ending any hopes of an Iraqi comeback.
With this emphatic win, France not only maintained their perfect form in the group stage but also secured qualification for the knockout phase with one match remaining.
The match will be remembered for both its on-field brilliance and the unusual disruption caused by extreme weather conditions, which stretched the contest across more than three hours.
END/SMA/AJ
