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Kylian Mbappe admitted he struggled to stay composed after a severe storm in Philadelphia forced a lengthy suspension during France's World Cup clash with Iraq. The France captain revealed the disruption tested the squad mentally before he scored twice in a 3-0 victory to help his side overcome the challenging circumstances.
Storm interruption fails to stop France
France's World Cup meeting with Iraq in Philadelphia was disrupted by severe weather, with officials suspending the match for an extended period. Players from both teams were sent back to their dressing rooms as they waited for conditions to improve.
The lengthy delay created uncertainty over when play would resume. Once the match restarted, however, France regained control and secured a comfortable 3-0 victory. Mbappe played a decisive role in the result, scoring twice as France claimed all three points to advance to the knockout stage.
Mbappe opens up on difficult wait
Speaking after the final whistle, Mbappe was candid about how the delay affected his mental state. The French captain explained that maintaining the necessary intensity for a high-stakes international fixture is nearly impossible when the schedule is completely upended by external factors.
"It was a very long night. A lot of time passed, emotionally, and I was very nervous," Mbappe admitted, as quoted by ESPN. "It's very difficult because we had to stay focused, we had to be present in the locker room."
The difficulty of maintaining focus
Mbappe elaborated on the specific difficulties of the nearly two-hour hiatus. The French squad had to find ways to kill time without losing the competitive edge required to break down a resilient Iraq defense once the weather cleared and play was permitted to restart.
"It was an hour and a half, almost two hours, in the locker room," he added. "Staying focused is very difficult. It demands a lot. We made a great effort to try to stay involved. It's very complicated, but in the end, we achieved our goal."
France look to maintain momentum
France will aim to carry the confidence from this victory into the next stage of their World Cup campaign. The victory secured France's place in the knockout stages. However, before that stage, Les Bleus will play their final group match against Norway on Friday to determine the group winners.
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