Overview
- France beat Iraq 3-0 and secured a place in the Round of 16 after a match in Philadelphia that was suspended for about two hours because of violent storms.
- Kylian Mbappé scored twice in that match to bring his World Cup total to 16 goals, keeping him close to Lionel Messi’s tournament-leading tally.
- The French Football Federation announced the death of Deschamps’ mother and said assistant coach Guy Stéphan will take charge for the decisive France–Norway fixture on Friday, June 26.
- Portugal beat Uzbekistan 5-0 in Houston, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice to become the oldest World Cup goalscorer at 41, and Colombia beat DR Congo 1-0 to also qualify for the last 16.
- Finishing top of Group I matters beyond pride because it materially changes travel and rest: current projections show a top finish could cut several thousand kilometres of travel and give extra recovery days before knockout rounds that begin on June 30.