Mbappé fires France into early lead against Iraq

Kylian Mbappé continued his impressive World Cup form by giving France an early lead against Iraq in their crucial Group I encounter in Boston.

The France captain found the breakthrough in the 14th minute, finishing off a well-worked attacking move to put Didier Deschamps’ side 1–0 ahead and strengthen their grip on the match.

France had dominated possession and controlled the tempo from the opening whistle, consistently pressing the Iraqi defence. Their early superiority was eventually rewarded when Mbappé calmly converted from close range to register his third goal of the tournament.

The strike follows his brace against Senegal in France’s opening match and further underlines his importance to the former world champions’ World Cup campaign.

Iraq attempted to respond after conceding, but have struggled to create clear-cut chances against a disciplined French defence and a midfield that has dictated play for much of the contest.

As it stands, France lead 1–0 in Boston and remain firmly on course for a second consecutive victory. Should the scoreline hold, Les Bleus would move to six points from two matches and take a major step toward securing qualification for the knockout stage.