France vs Iraq 3:0 — A Mbappé Brace and Total Control

France thrashed Iraq 3-0 in a group-stage match where the expected-goals numbers unambiguously confirmed the class gap — 2.67 to 0.63, one of the most lopsided ratios of the tournament.

Kylian Mbappe's brace inside 40 minutes of game time

Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring in the 14th minute and doubled the lead in the 54th, thoroughly demoralizing Iraq's back line.

That kind of output from the France captain set the tone for the entire match from the opening minutes.

Ousmane Dembele sealed the rout in the 66th minute

A third goal from Ousmane Dembele put the result beyond doubt.

Iraq never managed to register a single shot on target against the French goal for the entire match.

Zero shots on target for Iraq — a scoreline-level statistic

With just 4 shots for the whole match, none of them found the target against Mike Maignan.

A rare stat line even for a side objectively overmatched at the group stage of a World Cup.

603 passes for France against 481 for Iraq

France's control of the ball is confirmed not just by the 56-44 possession split but by the raw passing numbers.

603 to 481, with 540 accurate against 413 respectively.

Standings context ahead of the knockout stage

France entered the match top of the group on 9 points with a +8 goal difference.

While Iraq sat bottom with zero points and a -11 goal difference — the result simply confirmed the gap already visible in the table.

Didier Deschamps rotated his squad in the second half

France's coaching staff made five substitutions between the 68th and 90+1st minutes.

Resting key players ahead of the decisive knockout fixtures — the lopsided scoreline allowed the manager to manage his squad's workload in advance.

A rout without a single shot on target

Iraq didn't just lose — the team failed to create a single genuinely dangerous moment against Maignan's goal. Four shots, none on target, just two corners for the entire match. The numbers speak for themselves: the class gap between the two sides was visible from the opening minutes and only widened as the game went on.

It's also worth noting the discipline of the French defense — Iraq never earned a genuinely dangerous set piece, and the visitors' only booking, for Amir Al-Ammari, came as early as the 6th minute, setting a nervous tone for the team for the rest of the match.

Iraq's substitutions didn't change the picture

Iraq's coaching staff made three changes between the 60th and 69th minutes, but none produced a genuine scoring chance.

With a gap this wide in the underlying numbers, the changes were more cosmetic than tactically meaningful. Squad rotation is routine ahead of the knockouts, but not the deciding factor tonight.