France secures play-off spot as Mbappe matches Klose record

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Another round of the second-stage group matches has concluded at the FIFA World Cup taking place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In Group I, the France national team confidently defeated Iraq 3-0, securing early qualification for the play-off stage. The match, held in Philadelphia, was notable not only for the lively play but also for a forced two-hour delay caused by difficult weather conditions.

The French opened the scoring in the 14th minute through Kylian Mbappe, but the match was halted after the first half. Under strict American safety regulations, if lightning is detected within a 13-kilometer radius of the stadium, play is immediately suspended and footballers are sent to the locker rooms. Each new flash resets the 30-minute countdown timer.

After two hours, the teams returned to the pitch and France consolidated their advantage. Mbappe completed a brace in the 54th minute, and Ousmane Dembele established the final score in the 66th minute. With these goals, Mbappe brought his total World Cup goal tally to 16, drawing level with legendary German forward Miroslav Klose. Argentina's Lionel Messi remains the all-time leader in this category with 18 goals. France leads Group I with 6 points, while Iraq sits at the bottom of the table with zero points. In the final group round on 26 June 2026, France will play Norway, and Iraq will face Senegal.

Concurrently, a Group J match between Algeria and Jordan took place in Santa Clara, California. World Cup debutants Jordan took the lead in the 36th minute thanks to a goal by Nizar Al-Rashdan. Algeria managed to turn the match around in the second half, with Nadir Benbouali equalizing in the 69th minute and Amine Gouiri scoring the winning goal in the 82nd minute to seal a 2-1 victory.

This result allowed Algeria to claim its first 3 points and occupy third place in Group J, keeping its play-off qualification hopes alive. Defending world champion Argentina leads the group with 6 points and has already secured a spot in the next stage. Austria holds second place on tiebreakers with 3 points.

Following two defeats, Jordan has prematurely lost all chances of advancing from the group. In the decisive round on 28 June 2026, Algeria will compete for a play-off spot in a direct clash against Austria, while Jordan will play a prestige match against Argentina. The current World Cup is the first in history to feature an expanded format with 48 national teams and will conclude on 19 July 2026.