A view of the Philadelphia Stadium after the 2026 Fifa World Cup match between France and Iraq was suspended due to adverse weather.
Kylian Mbappé said he was not paying too much attention to Fifa World Cup scoring records after hitting a clinical brace on what he described as a draining night in Philadelphia, as France beat Iraq 3-0 in a match interrupted by a two-hour storm delay.
Mbappé's strikes came either side of half-time on his 100th appearance for France, with Ousmane Dembélé netting the other goal in a fixture that was held up at the interval as torrential rain lashed the city.
"It was a very long evening. In terms of staying switched on emotionally it was very difficult because we had to remain focused in the dressing room for almost two hours. That is very difficult and very demanding," said Mbappé.
A match which began at 5pm local time did not finish until close to 9pm, but Mbappé's virtuoso performance made it memorable for other reasons for the capacity crowd of over 68,000. France coach Didier Deschamps chose to focus on the logistical challenges of the unexpected disruption.
