France vs Iraq LIVE: Kylian Mbappe reaches major milestone in World Cup clash – UK Times

Reaction to the France team news from Chris Wilson, who’s in place at the Philadelphia Stadium…

Didier Deschamps has clearly not decided to take it easy on Iraq this evening, with the France boss naming an almost full-strength side for tonight’s game.

The big news is that Kylian Mbappe will get his 100th international cap, and he’ll be supported by the likes of Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele and Bayern star Michael Olise once again.

Bradley Barcola is rewarded for his goal against Senegal with a place in the starting line-up as Desire Doue drops out, while Theo Hernandez and Aurélien Tchouaméni are the only other changes – Manu Kone and Lucas Digne come in for that duo.

France XI: Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne; Kone, Rabiot; Olise, Dembele, Barcola; Mbappe

Subs: Risser, Samba, Gusto, Hernandez. Hernandez, Konate, Lacroix, Kante, Tchouameni, Zaire-Emery, Cherki, Doue, Akliouche, Mateta, Thuram

There is something old-fashioned about a player defined by the World Cup. Kylian Mbappe can seem a face of sleek modernity, but perhaps he is a throwback footballer. The World Cup is his stage; perhaps no footballer for decades can say that to the same extent.

As Mbappe claimed France’s goalscoring record, and advanced past Pele and Just Fontaine’s totals in World Cups to draw level with Gerd Muller, Didier Deschamps talked of the global audience. Mbappe, he said, did not want to pass Olivier Giroud’s tally for Les Bleus in a friendly. He did it instead against Senegal in the World Cup, in the world’s most famous city. He can prosper when the eyes of the footballing planet are on one match, and one alone. And, in an ever more crowded fixture list, that is rarely the case. Mbappe started this tournament with a very different double of high class. “In this match with a global audience, he has a real aura,” noted Deschamps.

His aura, unlike his peers’, comes from such days. Some of the legends of earlier generations were defined more by World Cups. Santos and Napoli fans may disagree but Pele and Diego Maradona were. Paolo Rossi, Mario Kempes and Fontaine too. For audiences outside South America, Garrincha and Jairzinho were always going to be. For those outside England, Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst are.

It has not always been easy for a neutral observer to get behind Adrien Rabiot, whose dependency on the pitch has been repeatedly concealed by a curious, maddening penchant for irritating coaches, clubs and team-mates as much as opponents.

Yet if France are to reach an unprecedented third straight final, and wrest back the trophy from Argentina’s grasp, Didier Deschamps needs his team’s maligned midfield mainstay to keep pursuing what seems a neverending path to proving critics wrong.

A look at what France’s players got up to on their flight to Philadelphia for this match. Wonder what the combined screen time is for a player who wins the World Cup.

… is Canada’s Drew Fischer, who is officiating at a first World Cup.

He has been to two Club World Cup’s previously.

Fans are not being left into the stadium yet owing to storms in the area.

But there is no indication yet around whether it may impact kick-off time.

William Saliba said he was playing through “gritted teeth” after a long and gruelling season, but France should be able to call on the Arsenal star as well as Theo Hernandez, Malo Gusto and Dayot Upamecano, who have been wrapped in cotton wool to ensure they are fully fit.

Iraq’s Ali Jasim was withdrawn against Norway due to a knock but has shaken it off in training this week.

While Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and co draw inevitable focus, there is an argument that this tournament will be won by the 11th name on the teamsheet.

Every team has flaws, including France, but Richard Jolly assesses the least weakest link for all the top contenders.