Kylian Mbappe is already making up ground on Lionel Messi after netting the opener for France against Iraq.Earlier in the day, Argentinas captain became the outright top goalscorer at the World Cup, scoring his 17th and 18th in a 2-0 win over Austria. It left the Real Madrid star trailing by four, albeit with a few more tournaments to come for the Frenchman.And he has already started to close the gap, netting a stunning strike inside 20 minutes to put Les Bleus a goal to the good and France on the brink of the knockouts.After picking the ball up on the edge of the box, Mbappe shifted it onto his left foot, before rifling an effort into the far corner and wheeling away to celebrate.It could have been his second goal of the night, after being inches away from a tap-in at the far post less than a minute into the contest.Either way, Didier Deschamps side are in the driving seat as we head into the second quarter of the game.Make sure you keep up to date with all the action right here on 101GreatGoals. Topics France National Football Team Kylian Mbapp Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read LIVE France v Iraq: Commentary, updates, goals and stats as Kylian Mbappe leads Les Bleus charge Jon Fisher 22nd June, 2026 France vs Iraq: Line-ups confirmed as Les Bleus look to continue strong World Cup start Mitch Fretton 22nd June, 2026 France v Iraq: Predicted line-ups, preview and where to watch as Les Bleus look to maintain 100% World Cup record Jon Fisher 22nd June, 2026 FIFA World Cup 2026: Full France fixtures, results, schedule, confirmed squad, next match, kick off times Ben Miller 22nd June, 2026 World Cup 2026: Full list of confirmed teams, fixtures, groups and results Ben Miller 22nd June, 2026 Kylian Mbappe: World Cup 2026 playing schedule, fixtures, kick off times, where to watch, confirmed news updates and full France squad Ben Miller 22nd June, 2026
