"VAN" (Sports Desk - 23.06.2026) :: Kylian Mbappe celebrated his 100th France appearance by scoring a double that secures Les Bleus' place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32.
The Real Madrid star's brace also takes him on to four for the tournament, just below Lionel Messi in the adidas Golden Boot standings, and maintains his extraordinary goal-a-game record at the global finals.
Ousmane Dembele later added a third for the 2018 winners and 2022 finalists, who were rarely troubled in this thunderstorm-delayed match in Philadelphia.
The outcome was never in doubt from the moment Mbappe rifled them into a 14th-minute lead, crashing home a ferocious left-foot shot from 20 yards after being teed up by Michael Olise.
If his 15th World Cup goal was a cracker, Mbappe's 16th - which took him level with the previous all-time record holder, Miroslav Klose - was something of a gift. Zaid Tahseen and goalkeeper Ahmed Basil made an almighty mess of a goal kick, presenting the ball to Dembele, who squared up his captain for a routine second.
Dembele's reward for that unselfishness came 12 minutes later when the ever-inventive Olise slid him in to crash home the first World Cup goal of his stellar career.
France and their star-studded attack now march on to an intriguing clash with Norway safe in the knowledge that they will play knockout football regardless of the outcome. Mbappe, meanwhile, will continue his personal duel with Messi for both the 2026 Golden Boot and the all-time World Cup scoring record.
Cr-FIFA2026
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