Kylian Mbappe scored two goals in France's 3-1 opening victory against Senegal, breaking the national team's scoring record. The forward now has 14 World Cup goals, including two in this year's tournament, eight at the 2022 World Cup, and four at the 2018 World Cup. This achievement puts him level with Gerd Muller, just two goals shy of the 16-goal record held by Miroslav Klose and Lionel Messi.

Coach Graham Arnold (in a black vest) directs his team during Iraq's 1-4 loss to Norway in their first Group I match of the 2026 World Cup at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts, US on 16/6. *Photo: AP*

Ahead of the second Group I match against France, Iraq coach Graham Arnold revealed he considered a special strategy to contain Mbappe. "I asked if we could use three goalkeepers. They said no," he said with a laugh during a press conference on 21/6.

The Australian coach praised France for its many talented players, not just Mbappe, and emphasized Iraq's need to focus on improving their collective play. "We cannot control France, but we can control our performance. We will prepare to the best of our ability so our players can showcase their skills to the world," he stated.

Arnold acknowledged Iraq's defense faces a significant challenge, consecutively encountering two of the world's top strikers: Mbappe and Erling Haaland. In their opening match on 16/6, Iraq lost 1-4 to Norway, with Haaland scoring two goals.

Despite this, Arnold affirmed his commitment to an attacking football philosophy. "I always enter a match aiming to win, not just to avoid losing," he said. "With that mindset, there will be unsuccessful days, but also many effective ones. The key is to instill that belief in the players, so they go into each game expecting to win. That way, they will be in their best mental state."

Coach Arnold has not yet decided if captain Jalal Hassan will remain the starting goalkeeper, but he confirmed that winger Ali Jasim has recovered from injury and is ready to start after leaving the field during the Norway match. The 63-year-old coach also expressed excitement about facing his counterpart Didier Deschamps, who will depart the France national team after the 2026 World Cup, concluding his 14-year tenure.

Iraq has only participated in the World Cup once, in 1986, where they lost all three group stage matches.

*By Hong Duy (based on ESPN, Reuters)*