France Player Ratings vs. Iraq: Not Even Thunderstorms Can Slow Kylian Mbappe Down
In a game that lasted close to four hours due to thunderstorm-related delays, France cruised to a 3–0 win against Iraq to clinch its spot in the knockout rounds of the 2026 World Cup.
It didn’t take long for Kylian Mbappé to continue his sensational World Cup form, firing a scorching hit with his weaker left that put Les Bleus in front in the 14th minute. A downpour compromised the action late in the first half and then halted it entirely for two hours once the half-time whistle blew.
But the lengthy stoppage didn’t affect the back-to-back finalists, and Mbappé completed his brace inside the opening 10 minutes of the second half, benefiting from a calamitous mistake from Iraq trying to play out of the back. Ousmane Dembélé assisted Mbappé’s second and then added the cherry on top of France’s win with a well-taken finish to bag his first career World Cup goal.
It was a dominant showing from Didier Deschamps’ side, one where it seemed like the hand-break never truly had to come off.
France is through to the knockout stages of the tournament, and with Mbappé in red-hot form, Les Bleus remain one of the overwhelming favorites to win it all.
Compete against the world. / SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
One Thing We Can’t Ignore
Mbappé is unplayable at the World Cup. / Hannah Peters/FIFA/Getty Images
Mbappé now has 16 goals in as many career World Cup appearances, averaging a goal per game in the biggest tournament in the sport. Simply outrageous.
A thumping hit that bent the hands of goalkeeper Ahmed Basil got France rolling early, and he then proceeded to score the easiest goal of his World Cup resumé with a tap-in to double his side’s advantage after an egregious blunder from Iraq’s defense.
Mbappé now has a hat-trick and two braces in his last three World Cup appearances, climbing up the historic leaderboards hastily to now be level with Miroslav Klose on 16 goals as the second-most prolific scorers in tournament history—a record which stood as the most all-time entering the 2026 World Cup.
On a day where Lionel Messi scored a brace to up his career tally to a World Cup best 18 goals, Mbappé responded with a brace of his own to get within two of the Argentine superstar. Although Messi is defying the clock and matching Mbappé’s production in 2026, it seems like only a matter of time before Mbappé stands alone as the top scorer in World Cup history.
Don’t overthink it, Mbappé is already one of the greatest World Cup players in history.
France Player Ratings vs. Iraq (4-2-3-1)
France players prepared for the restart after a lengthy stoppage under a monsoon. / Dan Mullan/Getty Images
Ratings Provided by FotMob
GK: Mike Maignan —7.1 : Had a front row seat to the action given his goal was never threatened.
RB: Jules Koundé —7.4 : Always an outlet down the right. No longer given a major role in France’s attacking system.
CB: Dayot Upamecano —7.9 : Equally dominant, resolving any potential Iraq incursion effortlessly and rarely misplacing a pass from the back.
CB: William Saliba —7.2 : Had fun winning in the air whenever Iraq tried to boot the ball up the pitch. A dominant and comfortable showing from one of the best in the business.
LB: Lucas Digne —7.1 : Had a couple of erroneous deliveries early and then settled for the easy pass in seemingly every other action he was involved in. Wasn’t tested defensively.
CM: Manu Koné —7.3 : Forced to enter the XI with Aurélien Tchouaméni nursing a knock, the AS Roma midfielder did the dirty work, throwing his body into challenges and constantly winning back possession.
CM: Adrien Rabiot —7.2 : Quiet yet undeniably effective. Rabiot balances a side that boasts the best attack in the tournament. He covers ground and finds the open man with ease. Another solid showing from a player that doesn’t need the spotlight.
RW: Ousmane Dembélé —8.6 : After a subpar start, Dembélé registered a goal and an assist to secure the most productive performance of his international careers in major tournaments.
AM: Michael Olise —8.9 : Served as France's chief creative mind in the heart of the attack. Some of his first touches were museum worthy art pieces, and he collected his second assist of the tournament.
LW: Bradley Barcola —7.5 : Stretched the pitch down the left wing, tirelessly running in behind the backline. He was found on a handful of occasions, but he lacked quality in the dangerous areas.
ST: Kylian Mbappé —9.2 : It took him just 14 minutes to resume his quest for immortality with a thunderous left-footed strike. He then completed his brace in the second half to continue adding to his simply astonishing World Cup legacy.
SUB: Rayan Cherki (68’ for Olise) —6.9: Flashed his delicious technique and difference-making quality during a brief cameo when the game was already essentially over.
SUB: Désiré Doué (68’ for Dembélé) —6.2: Didn’t have enough time to make an impact.
SUB: Malo Gusto (83’ for Koundé) —N/A
SUB: Maghnes Akliouche (83’ for Barcola) —N/A
SUB: Marcus Thuram (90’ for Mbappé) —N/A
_Subs not used:_Brice Samba (GK), Robin Risser (GK), Ibrahima Konaté, Theo Hernández, Lucas Hernández, Maxence Lacroix, Aurélien Tchouaméni, N’Golo Kanté, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Jean-Philippe Mateta.
What the Ratings Tell Us
Ousmane Dembélé needed to get on the board. / Image Photo Agency/Getty Images
- It was far from a dominant performance from Ousmane Dembélé , but it was one he desperately needed. In his 13th career World Cup appearance, the reigning Ballon d’Or holder scored his first-ever tournament goal. He also bagged an assist in a performance Deschamps will hope takes the pressure off his shoulders.
- In an attack that boasts some of the best players in the world, Michael Olise still stands out. The Bayern Munich winger played centrally against Iraq and assisted another pair of goals to up his World Cup tally to three in two games. He created the most chances and completed the most dribbles. Mbappé will get the headlines, but Olise is the creative soul of this French team.
- Manu Koné made sure the injured Aurélien Tchouaméni wasn’t missed against Iraq. The Roma midfielder dominated in the middle of the pitch and proved he can fill in admirably when the Real Madrid midfielder needs a breather. Unfortunately for those wanting to see N'Golo Kanté, it appears Koné is higher in Deschamps’ midfield depth chart—and he showcased why.
The Numbers That Explain France’s Easy Win
- France outshot Iraq 19 shots to four , and none of Iraq’s attempts required Mike Maignan to intervene.
- Although possession was relatively even-split, with France winning the battle at 56% , Les Bleus had 42 touches in Iraq’s box compared to the seven Iraq had on the other end.
- Mbappé himself had more shots (seven) than all the four Iraq was able to manufacture and producedan xG of 1.20 compared to the 0.60 Iraq crafted.
| Statistic | France | Iraq |
|---|---|---|
| Posession | 56% | 44% |
| xG | 2.38 | 0.60 |
| Total Shots | 19 | 4 |
| Shots on Target | 5 | 0 |
| Big Chances | 6 | 1 |
| Pass Accuracy | 90% | 86% |
| Fouls | 8 | 4 |
| Corners | 4 | 2 |
