2026 FIFA World Cup — Group I, Matchday 2 | June 22 | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA — France’s 3-0 victory over Iraq was a tactical masterclass in breaking down a deep defensive block. Deschamps deployed a 4-3-3 that morphed into a 3-2-5 in possession, with Kounde tucking inside to form a back three and Digne pushing high on the left. The key to unlocking Iraq’s 5-4-1 was Michael Olise.

Olise: The Half-Space Operator

Olise was deployed as the right-sided number 8, but his heat map tells a different story. He spent most of the match operating in the right half-space, between Iraq’s left-back and left-sided centre-back. From this position, he could receive the ball on the half-turn and either play a through-ball to Mbappe or switch play to Dembele on the opposite flank.

His assist for Mbappe’s opener in the 14th minute was a perfect illustration. Olise received the ball 30 yards from goal, drew two Iraqi midfielders towards him, and then slipped a pass into the space they had vacated. Mbappe did the rest — a left-footed strike into the top corner.

Olise finished the match with two assists, four key passes, and a 94 percent pass completion rate. He was the best player on the pitch not named Kylian Mbappe.

Mbappe’s Movement

Mbappe’s two goals took him to 16 World Cup goals, tying Miroslav Klose. But the numbers only tell half the story. His movement off the ball was what truly destroyed Iraq.

On the first goal, he drifted into the left channel, pulling Iraq’s right-back out of position. When Olise played the pass, Mbappe was already in the space between the centre-back and the full-back. On the second goal, he simply read the defensive error before anyone else — anticipating the misplaced pass, pouncing on the loose ball, and finishing into an empty net.

Mbappe’s expected goals (xG) for the match was 1.2. He scored twice. He is outperforming his xG at this tournament by a significant margin — a sign of a player in peak form.

Group I Standings

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 France 2 2 0 0 6 1 +5 6
2 Norway 2 2 0 0 7 3 +4 6
3 Senegal 2 0 0 2 3 6 -3 0
4 Iraq 2 0 0 2 1 7 -6 0

Match Details:

KONGSI 𝕏 f W ✉