Iraq manager jokes about using three goalkeepers to stop Kylian Mbappe
Iraq manager Graham Arnold joked he asked to play three goalkeepers to stop Kylian Mbappe when his side faces France in Monday’s World Cup group match.
The 27-year-old enters the Group I fixture in formidable form after scoring twice in a 3-1 opening-game victory over Senegal.
Those strikes saw the Real Madrid forward surpass Olivier Giroud to become his country’s all-time leading goalscorer with 58 international goals.
A historic milestone awaits
Before a ball is even kicked against the Asian nation, the prolific attacker will celebrate his 100th appearance for Les Bleus.
“It’s always a pleasure to be able to play on the national team,” the forward said ahead of the match.
“There’s nothing bigger than the national team. One hundred, that’s historic.”
Should the 2018 champions advance deep into the tournament, the lightning-fast striker could overtake his manager Didier Deschamps, who earned 103 caps during his playing career.
Chasing World Cup immortality
The former Parisian’s brace against Senegal also moved him past Brazilian legend Pele on the all-time World Cup scoring list.
With 14 goals across three tournaments, the French captain is now tied with Germany’s Gerd Muller in fourth place overall.
He remains just two goals shy of the all-time record of 16, jointly held by Miroslav Klose and Lionel Messi.
Despite mounting debate over whether he will go down as the greatest player in the competition’s history, the Golden Boot winner remains focused entirely on collective success.
“It’s debate for the journalists, debate for the fans of football,” he stated.
“For me, it’s not a question in my head. It’s just about how can I help my team tomorrow against Iraq and can I bring the trophy home in July.”
The ultimate test for Iraq
Tasked with containing this historic threat, Arnold admitted his staff had brainstormed unconventional methods ahead of the daunting clash.
“I asked if we could play three goalkeepers,” Arnold said with a laugh on Sunday. “But they said no.”
The underdog side will now have to rely on traditional defensive structures to suppress a generational talent who appears to be at the absolute peak of his powers.
