The lightning storm that hit the stadium could not dim the brilliance of Kylian Mbappé. In a match that will go down in history for the first lightning suspension in a World Cup, France thrashed Iraq 3-0 and the French star showed he is coming with everything to challenge Lionel Messi’s throne.
The match, corresponding to the second round of Group X, started normally, but at 35 minutes of the first half the sky unleashed. A torrential downpour forced players to take refuge in the locker rooms, and halftime was extended by two hours and ten minutes. FIFA, to avoid further delays, decided to eliminate the hydration break in the second half. The puddles on the field witnessed a crazy night.
But not even nature could stop Mbappé. The forward, who was playing his 100th match with the blue jersey, needed just 13 minutes to open the scoring. A violent left-footed shot from the edge of the area, after a pass from Olise, beat goalkeeper Fadhil. After the pause, Kiki’s hunger grew: at 9 minutes of the second half, a terrible mistake by Zaid Tahseen on a goal kick gifted the ball to Dembélé, who assisted Mbappé for the 2-0. The Frenchman could have extended the lead but missed three clear chances.
The 3-0 came thanks to a header from Dembélé, who capitalized on a cross from Olise. The Bayern Munich winger was a nightmare for the Iraqi defense, moving across the entire attacking front. Deschamps, who had rotated the team compared to the debut against Senegal, found in Olise and Dembélé a lethal duo.
The French midfield, with Koné replacing Tchouaméni, did not look solid, but the weakness of the opponent hid the flaws. Iraq, 57th in the FIFA ranking, never threatened. Their only attempt was a long-range shot that went wide.
Mbappé, with his two goals, reached 5 goals in World Cups, closing in on Messi’s 6 and equaling Klose in the all-time table. The race for records is heating up. France, meanwhile, asserts itself as a title contender, despite the storm. The movie is just beginning.
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Para mí esta tormenta es puro cuento del sistema, ¿viste? Mbappé laburando como un negro mientras la FIFA de mierda se llena los bolsillos. Francia arrasa porque el pueblo no para, ni con rayos ni con patrones. Vamos Kylian, rompele el orto a la burguesía, que Messi es el verso del capitalismo. ¡Arriba la clase obrera gala!
Para mí Mbappé le está pasando el trapo a Messi y a los argentinos les arde el orto. Mientras ellos lloran con una tormentita, Francia les metió 3-0 sin piedad. Esto huele a que la Francia blanca y pura no se para ni con un rayo. Messi chorro, andá a llorar a la cancha que acá se gana con huevos.