In a World Cup match that was delayed for over two hours due to thunder and lightning in the Philadelphia area, it was France star Kylian Mbappé that made it rain while the game was being played.
The France star scored twice — once before and once after the weather delay — as the 2018 World Cup champions cruised to an easy 3-0 win against an overmatched Iraq team.
The brace took Mbappé’s total to four for this year’s tournament, but perhaps more impressively it put him on 16 career World Cup goals — level with Germany legend Miroslave Klose, whose all-time goals record was equaled and then broken by Lionel Messi over the course of Argentina‘s first two games.
Mbappé also moved ahead of Brazil great Ronaldo, who has 15, with his record sixth multi-goal World Cup game.
All-time leader Messi, who scored twice in a win over Austria earlier on Monday, now sits alone at 18 with Mbappé — 11 years his junior and making his 100th international appearance for France — hot on his heels.
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As the game approached halftime, the skies above Lincoln Financial Field opened up and soaked players and spectators. Shortly after players went to the dressing room for the break, FIFA announced that the match would be delayed at least 15 minutes.
That delay — the first of the tournament — ended up lasting over two hours, as a FIFA rule requires games to be paused and seating areas evacuated for 30 minutes if lightning is detected within eight miles. Each strike resets the clock.
There was also heavy rain ahead of Monday night’s scheduled game between Norway and Senegal in East Rutherford, New Jersey, but that game started on time.
Once back on the field after halftime, it was more of the same for France, with Ousmane Dembélé setting up Mbappé for his second before scoring France’s third for his first-ever World Cup goal.
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Mbappé scored his third goal of the tournament with a left-footed strike — his supposed weaker foot — from the edge of the box that got past Iraq goalkeeper Ahmed Basil, who got his first start in the tournament after captain Jalal Hassan allowed all four goals in Iraq’s 4-1 loss to Norway.
For his second goal, Mbappé took advantage of a poor pass to the goalkeeper by Iraq defender Zaid Tahseen. Dembélé controlled the loose ball and passed to Mbappé, who tapped it in with his right foot.
Mbappé had a chance at the hat trick on a late breakaway, but missed before he was subbed out at the 90-minute mark.
Iraq striker Aymen Hussein was subbed out with an apparent injury in the 26th minute of the first half and replaced by Ali Al-Hamadi. Hussein scored his 34th international goal in Iraq’s World Cup opener.
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Iraq are playing in the World Cup for just the second time after debuting in 1986.
The result has France, who could return to Philadelphia to play Germany on July 4, with six points from two games after beating Senegal 3-1 in their opener. Didier Deschamps side is assured of a spot in the knockout rounds, but their group-stage finale against Norway will likely decide who tops the group.
Information from AP was used in this report.
