France captain Kylian Mbappe has matched a record previously held by Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario at the FIFA World Cup. Mbappe scored a brace as Les Bleus secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Iraq at Philadelphia Stadium on Monday, June 23, 2026. The win moved France onto six points, securing their place in the last 32.
Mbappe's Brace Propels France Past Iraq
France's early dominance paid off in the 14th minute when the Real Madrid forward curled a left-footed strike into the far corner from the edge of the penalty area. The former world champions doubled their advantage in the 54th minute after Iraq goalkeeper Ahmed Basil failed to control a short goal-kick from defender Zaid Tahseen. Ousmane Dembele capitalised on the mistake before setting up Mbappe for a simple finish.
Nine minutes later, Dembele turned from provider to goalscorer when Michael Olise threaded a sublime outside-of-the-boot pass into his path. The Paris Saint-Germain forward finished emphatically for what was remarkably his first goal in 19 major tournament appearances for France, according to Yahoo Sports. France face Norway in their final group match on Friday, June 26.
Mbappe Equals Ronaldo's Record
Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe has equalled Ronaldo Nazario's record of scoring 15 goals across three FIFA World Cup tournaments. The Brazilian icon scored 15 goals at the 1998, 2002 and 2006 World Cups, and Mbappe matched that tally with his first goal against Iraq at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Mbappe, who made his World Cup debut for France against Australia on June 16, 2018, reached the milestone in just 16 matches, while Ronaldo needed 18 appearances, per News18.
The former Monaco forward's brace against Iraq took his World Cup tally to 16 goals in 16 matches, moving him closer to Argentina captain Lionel Messi, who had surpassed Miroslav Klose's all-time record earlier in the day. Messi had previously scored a brace to claim the outright record for most goals at World Cups from Miroslav Klose as Argentina defeated Austria 2-0.
Fan Reactions to Mbappe's Feat
Legit.ng compiled the reactions of football fans following the performance of Kylian Mbappe at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup. @Respect050 said: "Why does Kylian Mbappe Perform at the FIFA World Cup like it's just a Mere Copa Del Rey or One easy Competition, it's now becoming normal that the Real Madrid man will just cook any team once it's the World Cup." @Sevenhappy007 wrote: "Kylian Mbappe is a pure talent no hype, joint third-place with Ronaldo in the World Cup top scorers list." @Nelsononthisone added: "Mbappe will become the world Cup all time highest scorer before this world cup 2026 finish.... Bookmark this."
Ronaldo Breaks Unique World Cup Scoring Record
Legit.ng earlier reported that Cristiano Ronaldo has added another remarkable chapter to his legendary career after setting at least seven new FIFA World Cup records during Portugal's emphatic victory over Uzbekistan at the 2026 tournament. By scoring at the 2026 edition, the Portuguese icon became the first player ever to find the net in six different World Cup tournaments.
