France vs Iraq: Winners & losers - Mbappé's milestone brace caps comfortable win

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·23 Juni 2026

France vs Iraq: Winners & losers - Mbappé's milestone brace caps comfortable win

France cruised to a 3–0 victory over Iraq at Lincoln Financial Field, with Kylian Mbappé scoring twice on his 100th international appearance to reach 60 career goals and draw level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals. Michael Olise provided two assists and struck the crossbar as Les Bleus dominated, while Iraq failed to register a single shot on target after goalkeeper errors gifted France their second and third goals. GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from France v Iraq.

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Winners

Kylian Mbappé (France)

Mbappé marked his 100th France appearance with a match-defining brace that extended his international tally to 60 goals and drew him level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals. The captain opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a curling left-footed shot from the edge of the area after receiving from Michael Olise.

His second goal demonstrated sharp opportunism, tapping home from close range in the 54th minute after Ousmane Dembélé squared the ball following the goalkeeper's error. Mbappé continued to threaten throughout, testing the defence with multiple shots including a long-range chip, blocked efforts, and late attempts that were saved or off-target.

The brace put France firmly in control at 2–0 before Dembélé added the third, ensuring a comfortable group-stage victory. Mbappé's milestone performance maintained his pursuit of tournament records and confirmed France's progression with six points from two matches, leaving Iraq without a point heading into the final fixtures.

Michael Olise (France)

Olise drove France's attacking output with two assists and came inches away from scoring himself. Operating in a free central role behind Mbappé, his creative vision consistently unlocked Iraq's compact defensive block. He combined technique with intelligence, finding pockets of space between the lines throughout his 68 minutes on the pitch.

His combination with Mbappé produced the opener on 14 minutes, returning the ball into the captain's path for a precise finish. In the 58th minute, he almost added a goal of his own when his delicate chip struck the crossbar after receiving from Mbappé inside the area. His outside-of-the-foot pass then teed up Dembélé for the third.

Olise's withdrawal in the 68th minute came with the game secured at 3–0, his work complete. With three assists now in the tournament, he has established himself as France's primary chance creator. His performance provided the platform for Mbappé's brace and contributed directly to two of the three goals.

Loser

Ahmed Basil Fadhil (Iraq)

Ahmed Basil Fadhil endured a nightmare evening in goal as two fundamental errors transformed a competitive contest into a comprehensive defeat. Replacing the goalkeeper who conceded four against Norway, he was directly responsible for France's second and third goals, undermining his team's disciplined first-half defensive effort.

His miscontrol from Zaid Tahseen's back-pass in the 54th minute allowed Dembélé to intercept and square for Mbappé's simple tap-in. Twelve minutes later, another poor clearance gave possession straight to France, with Olise feeding Dembélé for the third. The goalkeeper showed shot-stopping ability with saves in the 59th and 88th minutes, but those moments were overshadowed.

What had been a narrow 1–0 deficit after 45 minutes became a 3–0 rout through self-inflicted wounds. Iraq failed to register a single shot on target across ninety minutes, yet the margin of defeat was extended by their own goalkeeper's mistakes rather than French brilliance. The errors ended any realistic hope of salvaging a result.