⚽️ World Cup kick-off: 5pm ET/10pm BST/7am AEST
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Welcome, everyone, to the Kylian Mbappé showcase. As the captain of the French national team, he is undoubtedly the standout player among a squad filled with talent, arguably the most significant star of this World Cup for athletes under 38. Mbappé is just four goals shy of equaling the all-time World Cup record held by Lionel Messi. Impressively, he has already made his mark as the top scorer per match among players who have scored in multiple World Cups, recording 14 goals in 15 matches, slightly ahead of Pelé’s 12 from 14 appearances. In comparison, Messi has scored 18 from 28 matches, while Cristiano Ronaldo has netted only eight from 23.
This evening in Philadelphia, Mbappé is poised to earn his 100th international cap. The stage is perfectly set for this milestone, but a memorable match requires contributions from both teams. Can Iraq, following in Iran’s footsteps, manage to secure a scoreless draw? They have yet to earn a point in their World Cup history, making a positive outcome against a formidable team like France a daunting task. Nonetheless, they embrace challenges and are no strangers to perseverance, having advanced through 21 qualifiers to reach this stage—more than any other nation. Their coach, Australian Graham Arnold, maintains an optimistic perspective, viewing what others call a ‘group of death’ as simply a ‘group of excitement.’
