France vs Iraq

France dominated possession from the first whistle but found Iraq organised and compact in a low block. The decisive moment arrived in the 14th minute when Michael Olise, starting in the right-sided attacking role, slipped a perfectly weighted pass into Mbappé's path on the left edge of the box. The France captain cut inside onto his weaker right foot and unleashed a curling effort that flew past Ahmed Basil and into the far top corner — a finish FOX Sports described as a "weak-footed screamer."

Iraq's best spell came in the minutes after the goal. Aymen Hussein, their captain and all-time top scorer, tested Mike Maignan with a header from a set piece, but the France goalkeeper was well positioned. The Lions of Mesopotamia were forced into an early change in the 26th minute when Hussein went off with an apparent injury, replaced by Ali Al-Hamadi. Moments later, Al-Hamadi was involved in a VAR check for a potential penalty — the review came in the 28th minute — but the on-field decision of no foul stood.

France controlled the second half without carving out clear-cut chances. Iraq goalkeeper Ahmed Basil kept his side in the game with a sharp save to deny Ousmane Dembélé, while substitute Bradley Barcola curled just wide after cutting in from the left. Iraq's best opportunity fell to Ali Al-Hamadi in the 78th minute, but the Wimbledon striker's shot from an acute angle was smothered by Maignan at his near post.

Iraq's best chance to level came and went in the 28th minute. With Al-Hamadi chasing a through ball inside the France box, contact from Dayot Upamecano sent the forward to ground. Referee Cristian Garay pointed to his watch for a VAR review. After a two-minute check, the officials ruled no penalty — Upamecano had made minimal contact and Al-Hamadi had begun to go down before any touch. Iraq never created a chance of similar quality for the remainder of the match.

Kylian Mbappé (France) — Man of the match. His 14th-minute strike was his third goal of the tournament and his second in as many games. With the finish, he continues to justify his status as France's all-time leading scorer. The goal — on his weaker foot from outside the box — highlighted a dimension of his game that makes him so difficult to defend.

Michael Olise (France). The Bayern Munich playmaker provided the assist with a sharp, first-time pass that split Iraq's defensive line. He completed four key passes in the first half alone and was France's most creative outlet before being substituted in the 67th minute.

Ahmed Basil (Iraq). The goalkeeper, making his first start of the tournament after replacing Jalal Hassan, made five saves and could do nothing about Mbappé's finish. Without him, the scoreline would have been wider.

Amir Al-Ammari (Iraq). The midfielder was booked in the 6th minute for a tactical foul but recovered to anchor Iraq's midfield, completing 87% of his passes and winning four duels before being substituted late on.

France held 68% possession and registered 16 shots to Iraq's five, but the underlying numbers tell a more controlled story than the scoreline might suggest. France's expected goals (xG) of 2.1 reflected consistent — if not relentless — pressure, while Iraq managed just 0.4 xG, with Al-Hamadi's late chance accounting for nearly half of that figure. The 1-0 result was the smallest possible margin of France's dominance; had Dembélé or Barcola converted their second-half opportunities, the game would have been put to bed earlier.

France move to six points in Group I, tied with Norway (who play Senegal later in the matchday). A draw in either of their next two results — or even a loss depending on other results — would see them through to the Round of 32. They face Senegal on 26 June in their final group match.

Iraq remain on zero points and sit bottom of the group. To have any chance of advancing as one of the best third-placed teams, they must beat Senegal in their final group fixture on 26 June and hope other results fall their way — a tall order given Senegal's strong showing in the tournament.

France did what tournament favourites do: win without ever needing to reach top gear. The defensive structure was sound, Mbappé delivered when it mattered, and the result was never seriously in doubt. Iraq competed gamely but lack the firepower to trouble a team of France's calibre, and their wait for a first World Cup point in 40 years continues.