Mbappe vs Messi: 2026 World Cup golden boot race heats up after Iraq brace

PHILADELPHIA, June 23 — Kylian Mbappe scored his second double of the tournament as France eased ‌into the last 32 with a 3-0 victory over ​Iraq on Monday in the first match of this World Cup beset by a lengthy weather stoppage.

Mbappe’s goals came nearly three hours apart ‌after thunderstorms in the region delayed the second-half kickoff by a shade under ​two hours.

They took him to 16 all-time World Cup goals, pulling him level with Germany’s former record holder Miroslav Klose.

Earlier on Monday, Lionel Messi set a new benchmark of 18 World Cup goals with ​a brace in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria.

Mbappe’s four goals also put him one behind Messi in the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot race.

Reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele also scored after halftime for two-times champions France.

Iraq remain alive for one of the eight third-place spots.

They will probably need a win in their ‌group finale against Senegal and help elsewhere. They could be without Aymen Hussein, who ⁠scored in their 4-1 opening defeat by ⁠Norway but came off in the 26th minute on Monday ⁠with an apparent injury.

France dominated ⁠the early stages and ⁠Mbappe capitalised in the 14th minute.

After an innocent-looking sequence on the right, Mbappe received Michael Olise’s pass, took one touch to his left and, with defenders affording him space, ⁠unfurled a powerful strike from the edge of the area that sailed beyond Ahmed Basil’s dive.

The weather delay could have served as a recovery period for Iraq, who spent most of the match chasing the ball. Instead, they gifted France and Mbappe a second in the 54th minute after a dreadful mistake from a goal kick.

Dembele was ⁠the provider for Mbappe’s tap-in. He scored himself 12 minutes later after controlling Olise’s incisive pass and finishing low past Basil.

With the outcome never in doubt, ⁠the weather provided most of the drama.

After referee Drew Fischer blew his halftime whistle as ⁠the storms ⁠were already beginning, the skies opened further and spectators were told to seek shelter in the stadium ​concourses.

The players finally re-emerged for warm-ups about one ​hour and 40 minutes later and, even then, ‌the restart was delayed further as stadium personnel used ​squeegees to shuttle standing water ​off the east side of the pitch. — Reuters