Iraq fall to France as storm disrupts World Cup opener

Where Iraq stand after the France loss

France 3–0 in the Group I opener. A thunderstorm stopped the match for two hours at 1–0 down, and when it resumed Mbappé added a second before Dembélé made it three. Hussein Ali battled hard against Mbappé all night, but the French attack was relentless. The result leaves Iraq needing something serious from the remaining group games to stay alive for the knockout stage.

Fan reactions

Iraq fans are not in a despairing mood despite the France result. The Reddit thread on Zidane Iqbal's reflections drew more pride than frustration, supporters pointed to the two-hour storm delay and the sheer quality of the opposition as context. Iqbal's comments about the squad learning from the occasion resonated: the feeling is that this team showed discipline and physical resilience under brutal conditions, and that matters for whatever comes next. Link