France faces Iraq: heavy rain, exercise bikes, and Deschamps' Versailles

The timer at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia was shattered by a thunderstorm.

Mbappé, riding the momentum of scoring 58 goals in his 99th national team appearance and topping France's all-time scoring chart, reached his 100th cap milestone. It was an impeccable, one-sided match. But there was no post-win relaxation in the French dressing room, only a physiological disgust at the loss of rhythm control.

This Group I second-round match was interrupted for nearly two hours by a severe thunderstorm, lasting over four and a half hours in total. The outdoor turf turned into mud, and French players pedaled stationary bikes in the locker room.

"We just rode the bikes a bit to stay warm," Koundé said lightly after the match.

Outside, there was a thunderstorm with lightning strikes at any moment; inside, precision machines monitored heart rates to maintain muscle temperature. Deschamps was deeply uncomfortable with this loss of control. He criticized his players for mistakes that made the team too passive, even giving up on updating them about the weather, choosing to wait passively. The fear of the "uncontrollable" among strong teams was all hidden in those rapidly spinning pedals.

Deschamps' anxiety wasn't entirely due to the weather.

Looking at France's 26-man roster: 9 forwards, 5 midfielders, Camavinga left out. The squad was top-heavy, and Tchouaméni's tactical weight was directly put under pressure. In this match, Tchouaméni was absent due to adductor discomfort, severing the primary starting point for transitioning from defense to attack.

Winning 3-0, Deschamps still nitpicked the process, even demanding the team restore high-standard performances. Winning but still finding it not good enough—this Versailles-style complaint couldn't hide the unease over midfield control. He needed the team to maintain high pressure on the muddy field, but the configuration of just 5 midfielders couldn't sustain that consumption.

Mbappé didn't care about the midfield's hidden pain.

In the 14th minute, he received an assist from Olise and scored with a left-footed long-range shot, then added another goal for a brace, and with teammates finishing off, the score was fixed at 3-0. A 100th cap milestone? Mbappé treated it merely as a cold goal-scoring target. Mud splashed on his jersey, but he didn't even blink—receiving the ball, shooting. Two goals on the board.

In the final stages of the match, Iraqi fans in the stands sang in the downpour, considering a rain-soaked experience a win.

The French team bus had already started its engine, securing qualification early. Outside the window was Philadelphia's mud; inside the bus was Deschamps' barely concealed calculations.