Nigeria, June 23 -- The French side seized control from the opening whistle and rarely loosened their grip, with Kylian Mbappe leading the charge through a clinical brace, while Ousmane Dembele added the icing on the cake with a goal of his own.

Although severe weather briefly threw a spanner in the works and forced a lengthy stoppage before the second half, France returned from the interruption with the same intensity and purpose that had defined their first-half display.

Les Bleus drew first blood in the 14th minute when Michael Olise threaded a clever pass into Mbappe's path at the edge of the box. The French skipper wasted no time, unleashing a thunderous left-footed effort that flew beyond the reach of the Iraqi goalkeeper.

Iraq ...