Kylian Mbappe scored a brace and was joined on the scoresheet by Ousmane Dembele as France cruised to victory over Iraq. Mbappe’s first-half strike gave France the lead at half-time, when the match was turned on its head by a lengthy weather delay. Storms in the vicinity of the Philadelphia Stadium took nearly two hours to shift, and the match was suspended for quite some time.
France hardly skipped a beat after reemerging from the dressing room, with Mbappe promptly bagging his second of the day before Dembele got in the action, lashing a smart shot across the face of goal and in to qualify Les Bleus for the next stage of the competition.
Mbappe came into this match hoping to break Miroslav Klose’s World Cup goalscoring record, but Lionel Messi has pipped him to the punch by scoring the opener in Argentina vs Austria. His brace, however, leaves him within two strikes of the great man in a battle which will surely rage on for the remainder of this tournament. Catch up with the action live as it happened below with Standard Sport’s dedicated match blog, complete with expert insight and analysis.
France vs Iraq latest news
- GOAL! Dembele adds another
- GOAL! Fadhil howler punished by Mbappe
- Match suspended due to adverse weather
- GOAL! Mbappe hits fine opener
FULL-TIME: France 3-0 Iraq
01:48 , Arthur Ferridge
That does it! A routine win for France.
France 3-0 Iraq
01:46 , Arthur Ferridge
90mins: Mbappe fluffs another chance to complete his hat-trick, and is duly hooked.
France 3-0 Iraq
01:43 , Arthur Ferridge
88mins: Around the grounds, Norway have taken the lead against Senegal through Marcus Holmgren Pedersen.
France 3-0 Iraq
01:38 , Arthur Ferridge
83mins: Two more changes for France as Chelsea’s Malo Gusto replaces Lucas Digne, and Bradley Barcola comes off for Maghnes Akliouche.
France 3-0 Iraq
01:37 , Arthur Ferridge
82mins: Barcola races into the box with the ball at his feet, but the final pass leaves a little to be desired. He wins a corner, which is taken short and comes to nothing.
France 3-0 Iraq
01:36 , Arthur Ferridge
80mins: UNLUCKY! Mbappe races onto a chipped ball into the area and shoots just wide.
He’s seen Messi’s heroics earlier in the day, and he wants his hat trick!
France 3-0 Iraq
01:32 , Arthur Ferridge
76mins: CLOSE! Al Hamadi threatens a goal. He gets the better of Saliba to meet a perfectly-placed cross from Marko Lawk Farji, but can’t quite get it on target as he slides to meet the ball at the back post.
France 3-0 Iraq
01:30 , Arthur Ferridge
74mins: Sulaka finds himself in space from the corner and gets a shot off, but cannot keep it down.
France 3-0 Iraq
01:29 , Arthur Ferridge
73mins: Iraq have a rare corner here. Can they make it count?
France 3-0 Iraq
01:26 , Arthur Ferridge
And for France, Doue and Cherki replace Dembele and Olise. You have to feel for Iraq, seeing those numbers go up.
France 3-0 Iraq
01:24 , Arthur Ferridge
69mins: Changes for Iraq as they look to pull their World Cup campaign back from the brink. Al Ammari and Bayesh come off for Marko and Farji.
GOAL! France 3-0 Iraq | Dembele '66
01:22 , Arthur Ferridge
The rip becomes a run. Dembele is found in space and fires mercilessly into the bottom-left corner. Iraq will be praying for more thunderstorms at this rate...
France 2-0 Iraq
01:21 , Arthur Ferridge
64mins: Dembele wins a corner with a driving run forward. He takes it short to Digne, who bends a tidy cross towards Saliba.
His header is deflected behind for a second corner, also taken short, which falls for Dembele to shoot into the side netting.
France 2-0 Iraq
01:19 , Arthur Ferridge
64mins: Upamecano does well to cut out a speculative long ball hoofed forward by Iraq.
France 2-0 Iraq
01:15 , Arthur Ferridge
59mins: How has he missed from there! Dembele’s shot is parried away and falls for Rabiot perfectly to head home from close range, but he puts it wide!
France 2-0 Iraq
01:14 , Arthur Ferridge
58mins: Mbappe only needs two more goals to match Messi’s new record tally as the all-time top goalscorer at a World Cup.
GOAL! France 2-0 Iraq | Mbappe '54
01:11 , Arthur Ferridge
It is an absolute howler! Fadhil miscontrols a simple pass and the ball falls straight to Dembele, unmarked in the box. He squares to Mbappe for the most routine of tap-ins.
France 1-0 Iraq
01:09 , Arthur Ferridge
53mins: A looping cross is met by a leaping Barcola, but he cannot direct the ball goalwards.
France 1-0 Iraq
01:06 , Arthur Ferridge
50mins: Mbappe gets on the ball and drives to the byline, but his left-footed cross is comically poor. It sails well over the box and out for a throw in on the far side.
France 1-0 Iraq
01:05 , Arthur Ferridge
49mins: It is scrappy stuff so far in the second half, France are struggling to keep ahold of the ball.
France 1-0 Iraq
01:03 , Arthur Ferridge
47mins: The ball is skipping along the surface now, with this pitch looking extremely waterlogged. Every step and every bounce of the ball is met with a little splash.
France 1-0 Iraq
01:02 , Arthur Ferridge
This match is now being played concurrently with the other Group I fixture, Norway vs Senegal. We’ll keep you posted on the happenings over there.
SECOND HALF: France 1-0 Iraq
01:01 , Arthur Ferridge
Three hours after this match first kicked off, the second half is finally up and running. Let’s ‘ave it.
To those of you back in the UK who have waited up this long, fair play to you. Let’s hope it was worth it.
WEATHER DELAY
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:59 , Arthur Ferridge
Good news folks - there will be no hydration break in this second half as a result of this lengthy delay!
It seems something of a party atmosphere at the ground despite the delay. The stadium DJ is going through all the hits, most recently spinning Bon Jovi’s ‘Living on a Prayer’.
WEATHER DELAY
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:53 , Arthur Ferridge
Never mind. We’ve been pushed back another ten minutes.
We’ll kick back off on the hour.
WEATHER DELAY
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:50 , Arthur Ferridge
Here we go. Mere moments till the second half of this match kicks off.
WEATHER DELAY
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:45 , Arthur Ferridge
Groundsmen are sweeping water off the pitch with squeegees during the warmups, while players are caught on camera switching from moulds to studs.
WEATHER DELAY
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:44 , Arthur Ferridge
So the Formula One cliche goes, rain is the great equaliser. Nothing levels the playing field quite like a good downpour.
Let’s hope that same sentiment applies here. Iraq managed to limit France to just one goal in the first half, but after two hours in the dressing rooms, who knows what might come to pass in the second?
WEATHER DELAY
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:43 , Arthur Ferridge
This was the view from the terraces not too long ago...
WEATHER DELAY
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:40 , Arthur Ferridge
The pitch looks pretty waterlogged and the rain is continuing to fall.
The Sunday league pitch inspection might not be a particularly unlikely eventuality...
WEATHER DELAY
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:37 , Arthur Ferridge
The officials don’t look thrilled to be back out there, it must be said.
You wonder if we might see a Sunday league-style bounce test soon.
WEATHER DELAY
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:35 , Arthur Ferridge
The players are all absolutely drenched after just five minutes of warming up in this rain.
Our referees have returned to the pitch, too.
WEATHER DELAY
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:32 , Arthur Ferridge
The players are back on the pitch to get warm again, but they will have their work cut out for them. The rain is still absolutely torrential.
RESTART CONFIRMED
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:30 , Arthur Ferridge
The players are getting ready to return to the pitch for warm-ups, and our restart time has been confirmed as 7.50pm local time, 0.50am BST!
WEATHER DELAY
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:27 , Arthur Ferridge
Rumour has it this match will get back underway at 7.55pm EST, or 0.55am BST.
We await formal confirmation, though.
Around the World Cup...
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:25 , Arthur Ferridge
Speaking after Argentina’s defeat of Austria earlier today, Julian Alvarez publicly asked Atletico Madrid to sell him in a bombshell interview.
Alvarez has been the subject of intense transfer interest already this summer after his sensational season with Atleti, with Arsenal said to be among his suitors.
“The best thing for everyone is a transfer,” he admitted. “And I want to fulfil my dream.”
WEATHER DELAY
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:15 , Arthur Ferridge
We have good news, of sorts.
If the weather delay lasts another 47 minutes, then we’ll be able to watch Norway vs Senegal to kill the time!
Here are the starting lineups from New York/New Jersey Stadium, where the weather, presumably, is slightly drier.
Norway XI: Nyland; Ryerson, Ajer, Heggem, Moller Wolfe; Berge, Odegaard, Arsnes; Sorloth, Haaland, Nusa
Senegal XI: Mendy; Malick Diouf, Niakhate, Koulibaly, Diatta; Camara, Idrissa Gueye, Pape Gueye; Mane, Jackson, Ismaila Sarr
WEATHER DELAY
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:11 , Arthur Ferridge
FIFA have bestowed upon us a new statement as to their evening plans. It doesn’t tell us much we don’t already know, but you can read for yourself anyway.
"Due to the adverse weather conditions and the risk of lightning in the vicinity of the stadium, the Fifa World Cup match between France and Iraq has been suspended.
"A 30 minute break has been announced, however the situation is still being observed to determine if further delays are anticipated.
"Fifa will follow the safety protocols established by the local authorities and the match will resume as soon as it is safe to do so.
"The safety and security of all individuals is Fifa's priority. We thank all fans for their understanding and co-operation."
WEATHER DELAY
Tuesday 23 June 2026 00:05 , Arthur Ferridge
As we all wait for the match to restart, please enjoy some photos of supporters at the ground waiting for the match to restart.
WEATHER DELAY
Monday 22 June 2026 23:53 , Arthur Ferridge
Good news, dear reader, we have received another illuminating update from stadium staff.
A statement over the tannoy reads: “At this time severe weather remains in the area and the match continues to be suspended."
And a FIFA spokesperson tells BBC Sport: “The match will resume when it is safe to do so.”
As you were, folks. Stick the kettle on, we could be here for a little while.
WEATHER DELAY
Monday 22 June 2026 23:50 , Arthur Ferridge
It is now precisely one hour since the first-half ended.
Just think how many half-time shows we could have had in that time! What a waste.
A statement from the Philadelphia Stadium
Monday 22 June 2026 23:47 , Arthur Ferridge
"France v Iraq - June 22, 2026 Weather Update - The second half is delayed due to adverse weather conditions. The game will resume when deemed safe. Please shelter in place."
WEATHER DELAY
Monday 22 June 2026 23:45 , Arthur Ferridge
Never mind, everyone hold your horses. An announcement at the Philadelphia Stadium suggests we will remain suspended for the time being.
How does the restart work?
Monday 22 June 2026 23:38 , Arthur Ferridge
Both teams will be afforded a 20 minute warm-up before the match gets back underway.
There is, of course, a greater worry of injury after such an extended break, which is why teams are given such a long time to warm back up.
WEATHER UPDATE
Monday 22 June 2026 23:36 , Arthur Ferridge
Supporters are filtering back into the stadium, suggesting the bad weather has passed.
We should be getting back underway shortly!
How long does a weather delay last?
Monday 22 June 2026 23:32 , Arthur Ferridge
The length of a weather delays is largely determined by the presence of lightning, rather than rain.
Any match affected by adverse weather will be suspended for 30 minutes after any lightning strike within eight miles (12.8km) of a stadium.
That 30 minute countdown resets with each new lightning strike.
WEATHER DELAY
Monday 22 June 2026 23:27 , Arthur Ferridge
I for one am surprised this is the first weather delay of this World Cup, almost three weeks in.
It will be interesting to see how FIFA handle this, given the weather does not seem particularly likely to improve any time soon.
Surely the match won’t be rained off?
WEATHER DELAY
Monday 22 June 2026 23:17 , Arthur Ferridge
Donning my meteorology hat, I can confidently say it doesn’t seem we will be back underway any time soon.
Rain seems set to continue on-and-off in Philadelphia for about the next 24 hours.
A flash flood warning has also been issued.
Looking at the radar, though, there seems a chance the rain could abate around 7pm local time, 12am BST.
We’ll keep you posted!
WEATHER DELAY
Monday 22 June 2026 23:02 , Arthur Ferridge
Fans have been asked to leave the stands due to inclement weather, meaning we will be paused for at least half an hour.
HALF-TIME: France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:49 , Arthur Ferridge
That does it for the first half! Mbappe’s goal is the only difference.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:45 , Arthur Ferridge
45mins: Al Hamadi and Kone are both down and apparently in pain after a clumsy coming together.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:42 , Arthur Ferridge
42mins: An impressive last-ditch tackle from Ali denies Mbappe a close-range shooting chance.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:41 , Arthur Ferridge
41mins: The rain is intensifying in Philadelphia - it is absolutely torrential now!
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:41 , Arthur Ferridge
40mins: A loose ball falls to Mbappe in midfield and, clearly full of confidence, he decides to just whack it goalwards first time. He misses the mark quite considerably, though.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:38 , Arthur Ferridge
36mins: The rain has started to come down in droves in Philadelphia.
We can continue to play, though, until lightning strikes, at which point we will need a delay of at least half an hour.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:33 , Arthur Ferridge
32mins: France are camped in the attacking third here, and show no signs of departing. Mbappe sees a long shot blocked, but the rebound falls straight to his team-mate and the siege continues.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:31 , Arthur Ferridge
31mins: Iraq size up a first corner of the evening after Digne’s concession, but it flies over the box for Kone to recover.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:28 , Arthur Ferridge
27mins: Close! Doski plays a dangerous cross into Al Hamadi, who heads over the bar.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:26 , Arthur Ferridge
26mins: Iraq make a surprise early change after the hydration break, with Aymen Hussein coming off for Ali Alhamadi of Ipswich.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:23 , Arthur Ferridge
22mins: Barcola finds himself in a dangerous position once again, and once again fails to find another navy-blue shirt with his cross.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:20 , Arthur Ferridge
19mins: Barcola floats a nice cross into the box, but Mbappe just seems to misjudge its flight as he sizes up a volley and ultimately lets it fall behind him.
France 1-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:17 , Arthur Ferridge
16mins: Mbappe needs just two more goals to match Lionel Messi atop the all-time World Cup goalscoring charts.
GOAL! France 1-0 Iraq | Mbappe '14
Monday 22 June 2026 22:15 , Arthur Ferridge
Mbappe opens the scoring, naturally. He lashes his shot into the left side-netting from the edge of the box.
France 0-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:14 , Arthur Ferridge
13mins: Dembele’s cross is deflected goalwards and calls Fadhil into action. He fumbles the catch, dropping the ball to Olise, but he is dispossessed before he can do anything too dangerous.
France 0-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:11 , Arthur Ferridge
11mins: Dembele makes a jinking run forward and breaks into the box after a one-two with Kone, but nobody can get on the end of his cross.
France 0-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:10 , Arthur Ferridge
9mins: Olise is tripped and goes down clutching his knee, but is quite quickly back to his feet. Play resumes and Iraq look to play a long ball into Maignan’s box, which he claims with ease.
France 0-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:07 , Arthur Ferridge
6mins: An early booking for Al-Ammari. Mbappe beats his man far too easily and is cynically tripped in retaliation. The resultant free-kick is lobbed into the mixer but comes to nothing.
France 0-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:05 , Arthur Ferridge
4mins: Kone is looking lively in the early stages here - he has already made a pair of tidy tackles and played a dangerous ball into the box for Mbappe. The Roma midfielder is in fine fettle.
France 0-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:02 , Arthur Ferridge
1min: And an early chance for Mbappe! Kone puts a smart diagonal ball across the box and the striker can’t quite reach it.
France 0-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:01 , Arthur Ferridge
1mins: Scintillating start here. Iraq attempt the old ‘boot the ball straight out for a throw-in’ schtick, but don’t get it quite right and put it behind Maignan’s net. Goal kick to France.
KICK-OFF! France 0-0 Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 22:00 , Arthur Ferridge
We are underway in Philadelphia!
Monday 22 June 2026 21:57 , Arthur Ferridge
That’s that! Kick-off coming up momentarily.
Here we go
Monday 22 June 2026 21:54 , Arthur Ferridge
The players are out! Time for the anthems...
Weather latest
Monday 22 June 2026 21:45 , Arthur Ferridge
The stands at the Philadelphia Stadium are packed out and the skies, while overcast, are yet to open.
Appears we will be underway on time.
Team news reminder
Monday 22 June 2026 21:45 , Arthur Ferridge
With 15 minutes to kick-off, a reminder of today’s starting XIs.
France XI: Maignan, Digne, Upamecano, Kounde, Saliba, Kone, Rabiot, Dembele, Mbappe, Olise, Barcola
Iraq XI: Basil, Ali, Tahseen, Hashim, Doski, Bayesh, Iqbal, Alammari, Ismael, Qasem, Hussein
Deschamps: France cannot underestimate Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 21:37 , Arthur Ferridge
“We must not underestimate the Iraqi team, they are not a small team. They have qualities and have shown them in matches against Spain and Bolivia.
“We may make some changes, but our goal will remain to achieve victory. The match against Iraq will not be an easy one… we must not think it will be easy.
“Iraq is a team accustomed to playing in a 4-4-2 formation, and they have very strong forwards in the front line.
“The players know what they need to do on the field, and there is harmony and clear technical relationships among them, even with the changes in the line-up from one match to another.”
A new centurion
Monday 22 June 2026 21:36 , Arthur Ferridge
Kylian Mbappe will earn his 100th cap for France today.
Warmups underway!
Monday 22 June 2026 21:29 , Arthur Ferridge
And just like that, its time to shake loose.
Touchdown at the Philadelphia Stadium
Monday 22 June 2026 21:27 , Arthur Ferridge
Saliba injury worries
Monday 22 June 2026 21:17 , Arthur Ferridge
Speaking this week, France and Arsenal defender William Saliba revealed he has not been fully fit for quite some time.
“I’ve had some minor niggles for several months. I’ve been gritting my teeth because there was the Champions League and the Premier League. But the coaching staff are handling it very well.
“The World Cup comes round only once every four years, so you’ve got to grit your teeth.”
“I’m not at 100 per cent, but there are plenty of players who aren’t at 100 per cent either. You can’t make excuses.”
Mbappe chasing new record
Monday 22 June 2026 21:07 , Arthur Ferridge
Lionel Messi scored a brace against Austria today, marking his 16th and 17th goals at a World Cup finals.
That eclipses Miroslav Klose’s previous record of 16.
Mbappe, meanwhile, has 14 to his name, and can level Messi’s new record with a hat-trick today.
On balance of last week’s match between Iraq and Norway, where Erling Haaland starred, that may not be unlikely.
One to watch?
Monday 22 June 2026 20:57 , Arthur Ferridge
Aymen Hussein was the one man to score against Norway as Iraq were trounced last time out.
Let’s see if the striker, who plies his trade in his home nation, can repeat the trick today.
France XI
Monday 22 June 2026 20:47 , Arthur Ferridge
France have rotated considerably for this match, with Aurelien Tchouameni and Theo Hernandez among the starters rested.
Lucas Digne gets a chance to impress, as does Manu Kone in midfield.
Desire Doue drops out of the front four, with Bradley Barcola getting the nod after his goal against Senegal.
Kylian Mbappe will hope to match Messi’s new World Cup goalscoring record up top.
IRAQ CONFIRMED TEAM NEWS
Monday 22 June 2026 20:37 , Arthur Ferridge
Iraq XI: Basil, Ali, Tahseen, Hashim, Doski, Bayesh, Iqbal, Alammari, Ismael, Qasem, Hussein
Subs: Talib, Hassan, Sulaka, Younus, Maknazi, Saadoon, Putros, Amyn, Yakob, Sher, Al Hamadi, Ali, Yousif, Jasim, Farji
FRANCE CONFIRMED TEAM NEWS
Monday 22 June 2026 20:35 , Arthur Ferridge
France XI: Maignan, Digne, Upamecano, Kounde, Saliba, Kone, Rabiot, Dembele, Mbappe, Olise, Barcola
Subs: Samba, Risser, Gusto, Konate, L. Hernandez, T. Hernandez, Lacroix, Tchouameni, Kante, Zaire-Emery, Cherki, Akliouche, Thuram, Doue, Mateta
France predicted lineups
Monday 22 June 2026 20:25 , Arthur Ferridge
As things stand we are on track to kick-off on time, so let’s stop looking at the skies and discuss the weather.
How might France line up tonight? Standard Sport has considered the question...
Predicted France XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernandez; Rabiot, Tchouameni; Olise, Dembele, Doue; Mbappe
Weather latest
Monday 22 June 2026 20:17 , Arthur Ferridge
Gates have now opened at the Philadelphia Stadium, but a dismal forecast remains. A severe thunderstorm watch is in place until 9pm local time (2am BST).
Forecasts suggest thunderstorms will kick on at 7pm EST. We are due to kick-off at 5pm.
Will we get away with this one? Let’s wait and see.
Standard Sport prediction
Monday 22 June 2026 20:10 , Arthur Ferridge
There is a good reason France were so widely considered favourites coming into this tournament. Their squad quality is second to none, and that showed plainly as they eased past Senegal last week.
Iraq, meanwhile, struggled to even keep pace with Norway, let alone beat them. This match will bring a certain step up in terms of quality, and they showed little last time out to suggest they will be able to cope with the onslaught.
We expect France to produce a decisive victory.
France to win, 5-0.
Iraq early team news
Monday 22 June 2026 20:00 , Arthur Ferridge
Iraq had some concern around forward Ali Jasim after he fell awkwardly against Norway, but he has been cleared and seems fit to return against France.
Graham Arnold will have to name a full-strength side here if he is to have any hope of getting a result, though he may opt for a more defensive setup as he looks to limit France’s dazzling attack
Iraq squad: Fahad Talib, Jalal Hassan, Ahmed Basil, Hussein Ali, Manaf Younis, Zaid Tahseen, Rebin Sulaka, Akam Hashem, Merchas Doski, Ahmed Yahya, Zaid Ismail, Frans Putros, Mustafa Saadoon, Amir Al-Ammari, Kevin Yakob, Zidane Iqbal, Aimar Sher, Ibrahim Bayesh, Ahmed Qasim, Youssef Amyn, Marko Farji, Ali Jasim, Ali Al-Hamadi, Ali Yousef, Aymen Hussein, Mohanad Ali
Fans queue up in pouring rain at Philadelphia Stadium
Monday 22 June 2026 19:55 , Arthur Ferridge
Godspeed to those supporters without ponchos - you hope they have a change of clothes!
Umbrellas are not permitted inside most American stadiums.
France early team news
Monday 22 June 2026 19:50 , Arthur Ferridge
France came through their group stage opener with no new injuries and Arsenal defender William Saliba completed the full 90 minutes despite coming into camp with a nagging back problem.
With a tricky match against Norway on the horizon, Deschamps may take this as an opportunity to rest some of his bigger-name players. Barcola could come into the starting XI, as could Rayan Cherki.
Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace is still waiting to make his World Cup debut, and may get an opportunity to do so here.
France squad: Mike Maignan, Robin Risser, Brice Samba, Lucas Digne, Malo Gusto, Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, Ibrahima Konate, Maxence Lacroix, Jules Kounde, William Saliba, Dayot Upamenaco, N'Golo Kante, Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot, Aurelien Tchouameni, Warren Zaire-Emery, Maghnes Akliouche, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Michael Olise, Kylian Mbappe, Jean-Phillipe Mateta, Marcus Thuram
How do World Cup weather delays work?
Monday 22 June 2026 19:49 , Arthur Ferridge
American sport and event organisers take a very conservative approach to dealing with lightning. Here’s how things will work today.
Should lightning be detected within eight miles of the stadium at any point, all players and supporters will be sent indoors for a minimum of half an hour.
A full 30 minutes must pass with no lightning detected within that eight-mile radius before play can resume.
As things stand, kick-off has not been delayed, but that, naturally, is subject to change.
Fans told not to travel to stadium amid inclement weather
Monday 22 June 2026 19:41 , Arthur Ferridge
Fans have been warned against travelling to the Philadelphia Stadium due to the bad weather in the area.
A severe thunderstorm warning currently encompasses much of the Mid-Atlantic region, stretching from Philadelphia as far south as Virginia Beach.
A statement issued by the stadium says gates will not be opened on time due to the conditions.
It read: "Due to inclement weather in the region, gates opening will be delayed.
"If you are not in the area, please do not travel to Philadelphia Stadium at this time.
"A new gates opening time will be communicated once the weather has passed. If you are near Philadelphia Stadium, please take shelter."
How to watch France vs Iraq
Monday 22 June 2026 19:40 , Arthur Ferridge
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live and free-to-air on BBC One, with coverage starting at 9.30pm BST.
Live stream: UK viewers can also catch the contest live online via the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog.
Free highlights: World Cup highlights are available on FIFA’s official YouTube channel, along with the BBC iPlayer and ITVX app.
Storm warning
Monday 22 June 2026 19:34 , Arthur Ferridge
It seems we may be in for our first weather delay of this World Cup today.
Heavy rain and severe thunderstorms are forecast until 9pm local time, or 2am BST.
A severe thunderstorm watch means we could soon see high winds, hail and even isolated tornadoes.
Good afternoon
Monday 22 June 2026 19:27 , Arthur Ferridge
Hello, and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of France vs Iraq at the 2026 World Cup.
Les Bleus are chasing a second win in as many matches, while the Lions of Mesopotamia will require a stunning upset if they are to keep their campaign afloat. Let’s see how this one shakes out...
Follow along right here for all the latest from Philadelphia Stadium, where the match will get underway at 10pm BST.
