Kylian Mbappé Has 16 World Cup Goals and France's Knockout Path Is Already a Maze

Alright, 12s, did you catch that?! France just locked up their spot in the World Cup Round of 32, and man, was it a show! Kylian Mbappé dropped another brace, and Ousmane Dembélé added a goal in the 66th minute to seal a dominant 3-0 win over Iraq on Monday at Lincoln Financial Field. This is wild, right? It's the fifth World Cup in a row France has made the knockout stage, and their seventh time in the last eight tournaments. Les Bleus are on a redemption tour, and they are absolutely rolling.

Mbappé is Chasing History (and Messi's Ghost)

You gotta be kidding me with Mbappé. He is on another level! With his two goals against Iraq, he now has a staggering 16 career World Cup goals. Sixteen! And get this, he's only two goals shy of Lionel Messi's all-time World Cup scoring record of 18, which Messi just set against Austria on Monday. Think about that for a second. Mbappé, still so young, is breathing down Messi's neck already. France has pulled off back-to-back wins, first over Senegal and now Iraq. They've got six points in Group I, sitting pretty in first place for now, but Norway still has to play Senegal later tonight. Next up, France faces Erling Haaland and Norway on Friday in Boston, and you know Mbappé will be coming for that record. The Emerald City is watching!

The Knockout Stage: A Twistier Road Than Expected

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So, France is in the Round of 32, that's the big news. But who are they actually gonna play? That's where things get interesting, like a tight race for the Wild Card spot. If France wins Group I, they're set to face a third-place team. We're talking potential matchups against Scotland from Group C, or maybe Australia or Paraguay from Group D. Sweden from Group F is also an option, or even one of Egypt, Belgium, Iran, or New Zealand from Group G. And don't forget Cape Verde, Uruguay, or Saudi Arabia from Group H. That game would go down on Tuesday, June 30, at MetLife Stadium. That's a lot of possibilities, right? But, and here's the kicker, what if France somehow finishes as the runner-up in Group I? Then things get even more specific, and honestly, a little tougher. They would face the runner-up from Group E on June 30 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Right now, that's looking like the Ivory Coast, who have the head-to-head tiebreaker over Ecuador if those two teams end up tied for second. Either way, France has a game on June 30, but the opponent changes drastically depending on that final group stage match. The stakes are high for that Norway game on Friday. Not only for Mbappé to etch his name in the record books, but for France to try and nail down that Group I win and maybe, just maybe, get a slightly clearer path in the Round of 32. It's gonna be a wild ride, and you know we'll be here for every minute of it! Let's go!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.