French national football team defeats Iraq, advances to World Cup knockout stage

WASHINGTON:The French national team beat Iraq 3:0 in a second-round group-stage match and secured a place in the FIFA World Cup playoffs. Th...

WASHINGTON:The French national team beat Iraq 3:0 in a second-round group-stage match and secured a place in the FIFA World Cup playoffs.

The game took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

French national team players Kylian Mbappe (14th and 54th minutes) and Ousmane Dembele (66th) scored for the winners.

Officials halted the match after the first half due to weather conditions. The teams resumed play two hours later. Tournament matches in the United States operate under strict safety protocols: if lightning is detected within 13 kilometers of the stadium, play stops immediately and players head to the locker rooms. A 30-minute countdown then begins, and resets with each new lightning strike.

In the final group-stage round on June 26, France will face Norway, and Iraq will meet Senegal. Both games are scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m. GMT.

-News Feed