Time for me to sign off. Thanks for your company and correspondence. When I was handed this game, I wondered if there would be a single email. In the event, with Mbappé on fire and lightning giving us the longest half-time in history, there have been hundreds.

Apologies if I didn’t get to yours. And all the best to the Peeler family, who sent several emails and inspired one more. “John Peeler,” wrote Nick. “Real name presumably John Ravenscrofter?”

If you’re still hungry for more, England are playing tomorrow (ie tonight) and we have David Hytner reporting from the camp.

Kylian Mbappe now has 16 goals in 16 World Cup games. He is second-equal in the all-time list at the age of 27. Lionel Messi is top, but he’s about to be 39.

So Iraq lose again, for the sixth time in six World Cup matches. They were good in parts, with Ali al-Hamadi and Zidane Iqbal standing out, but they never really bothered Mike Maignan. At the other end, France had 19 shots and about that many moments of brilliance. They are a hell of a team.

90+1 min Only two mins of added time: even the ref wants to go to bed.

87 min Mbappé gets his umpteenth glimpse of goal, but his shot is straight at the keeper and he’s offside anyway.

“If I was Mbappé,” says Trey Brock, “I’d stretch the truth a bit and tell my grandkids in the future that I scored a brace despite there being a tornado on the pitch.”

85 min This game has now been going on so long that another game has come to join it. It’s between the other two teams in this group, and Jeff Rueter is on the MBM.

82 min The next man to dance into the box is Barcola, whose cutback is not as crisp as his dribbling.

81 min Mbappé, still not subbed, wiggles in from the left, runs into a defender and goes down. Drew Fischer is unmoved. Mbappé gets up, gesticulates and soon has a shot, a handsome volley that goes wide.

78 min France get upfield at last. Cherki tries to dribble in a circle with the outside of his left foot, but this isn’t Olise – it’s a tribute act.

77 min Iraq are having their best spell of the game, and it’s too little too late.

73 min This almost pays off right away as Iraq win a corner and have a shot! But it’s ballooned over. They come again, admirably. A cross is whipped in from the left and al-Hamadi goes so close… He gave Saliba the slip and got a shot in, which went agonisingly wide.

73 min “I see your first two subs,” says Graham Arnold to Didier Deschamps, “and I raise you my last two.” They are Marko Farki and Aimar Sher, replacing Ibrahim Bayesh and Amir al-Ammari. The horse, I suspect, has still bolted.

71 min That was the last action for Dembele, and Olise. They are replaced by two players who are almost as masterful: Doué and Cherki.

68 min The goal was made by Olise, who spun round near the D with the ball stuck to the outside of his left foot, before slipping it to Dembele on the right. He took an excellent first touch to gain half a yard of space, and used it to deliver a crisp low shot. Game over.

64 min In the first half, the Iraqia made it into the box a few times. Now they’re doing well if they make it over the halfway line. That happens now, with al-Hamadi hustling and bustling, but nothing comes of it.

60 min Graham Arnold, ever the optimist, sends on two subs. They are Rebin Sulaka and Youssef Amyn, replacing a pair of Zaids – Zaid Tahseen at the back and Zaid Ismael in midfield.

59 min Olise hits the bar! More electricity from Mbappe, who danced through the penalty area and teed up Olise. He went for an airy chip, like a man who hasn’t fully waken up after the long half-time, and it was just too high. I can’t improve on a line from one of the commentators: “What an extraordinary goal that nearly was.”

57 min A side-pass to the keeper went horribly wrong and the ball squirted to Dembele on the right. He could well have had a go himself, but elected to square to Mbappé, who passed into a largely empty net.

54 min Barcola shapes to race down the left, but he’s well policed by Hussein. Dembele does get away down the right, only to run out of room.

52 min The pitch is partly waterlogged, yet it still looks very good. Norman Hunter would have thought it was a billiard table.

51 min Mbappé sparkles on the left wing, but only for a moment – terrific footwork, terrible cross.

49 min Iraq build out from the back in textbook fashion. Triangles, diagonals, a masterckass in modern geometry. When they lose the ball, France threaten, but the Iraqis are tenacious as well as skilful. They may be my new tenth-favourite team.

48 min France go shimmering forward, then play sideways for a bit. They don’t seem to be having any trouble passing.

46 min The game resumes! And it’s still 1-0 to France (Mbappe 14). They go long from the kick-off, PSG-style.

The ref, Drew Fischer, is holding the ball. The groundstaff have been mopping up as I write, but they’re leaving the field now.

The spectators are back in their seats, sodden and Poncho-clad but cheerful. The PA is playing Livin’ On A Prayer. All together now: halfway there!

“The pitch is looking very wet indeed,” says our reporter at the game, Paul MacInnes. “Iraq players warming up in the middle are seeing the ball slow in puddles as they try passing drills. Am sure they won’t want to postpone the match, but there are issues with the pitch now. And the skies are still very grey.”

Back on the pitch, the Iraqis are going into a huddle. They look pumped, which is an achievement in itself after a half-time that has lasted longer than the whole match was meant to. It’s been two hours now.

Readers with long memories may dimly recall an email from a dad whose daughters were at the game. That was John Peeler ((23:09). Now here’s a follow-up…

“With no football happening on the pitch, fans have resorted to playing in the stadium concourse. Fantastic bout of juggling by the Iraqi fans in here!!

“But of course now that i’m writing in, the game’s back on!!!! — Ruby Peeler (yes, daughter of John).“

Here’s Gary Naylor, with a request. “In the late 80s, I would spend hours in the much missed Sportspages in Charing Cross Road, one Saturday afternoon being roped in to chalk up the latest scores on their blackboard frpm Sport On Two, between scanning the fanzines that had already spread from shelves to floor. One compilation of writing I bought there contained a very moving account of a fatality during a storm in a match at (I think) Maidstone. I’ve lent out or lost the book since, and I’ve never been able to find the piece again. If MBMers have a link or any other source, I’d be very grateful.”

Here’s Paul MacInnes in Philadelphia. “Latest word,” he says, “is 7.55pm restart local time. There are cones on the pitch.”

A minute later, he emails again. “‘Weather threat has cleared! Football action will soon return!’ says announcer. Players out. Admittedly it is as dark and as wet as at any point this evening, but still!”

A few more emails. “Looks like the weather is trying to ensure Messi owns the record outright,” says Pam. “At least for a few days.”

“As someone who played a lot of club cricket in the northern leagues,” says Charles Winterton, “I simply don’t understand what all the fuss is about, Just bloody well get on with it.”

“Clearing up Philly Stadium?” says Sandgk. “Send in a Kentish man with a dowsing rod to find the true source of the leak.”

In case you missed it, Lionel Messi broke the record for most World Cup goals in a career by scoring twice against Austria. And Kylian Mbappé has scored against Iraq to go third-equal on that list with Ronaldo (not Cristiano). Here’s the full run-down.

A thought from Aditya Anchuri. “Time for Duckworth-Lewis?”

With Messi scoring all the goals, Argentina’s other stars need something to do.

Fifa has issued a statement, according to Ian Dennis of the BBC. “Due to the adverse weather conditions and the risk of lightning in the vicinity of the stadium, the Fifa World Cup match between France and Iraq has been suspended.” Tell us something we don’t know.

“A 30 minute break has been announced, however the situation is still being observed to determine if further delays are anticipated.

“Fifa will follow the safety protocols established by the local authorities and the match will resume as soon as it is safe to do so.

“The safety and security of all individuals is Fifa’s priority. We thank all fans for their understanding and co-operation.”

To paraphrase Harrison Ford … You can type this shit, Gianni, but you sure can’t say it.

The latest quip comes from Johnathan Kaszynski. “These hydration breaks,” he says, “are really getting out of hand.”

Watching in the UK, after leaving us with highlights of various games, the BBC’s Kelly Cates returns to say that there will “hopefully” be a resumption around 12.15am BST (7.15pm local). But she also mentions the possibility of the match being abandoned.

And the BBC is abandoning it for now, as it switches from the football to the news. Nothing much has happened in British politics today, has it?

“Is there a non-plussed looking groundsman on his way round the pitch,| asks Andy Flintoff, “with a fork to try to assist with drainage? Or a man on a tractor with a supersopper?”

Good questions. If there is a man on a tractor, it had better be Ali al-Hamadi.

“Given FIFA’s dynamic pricing approach,” says Peter Oh, “shouldn’t the ticket holders at Lincoln Financial Field be charged extra for staying this long?”

Meanwhile, back in London, Mikel Arteta is on manoeuvres.

“Like all sensible people,” says Scott Bassett, “I’m avoiding the Fox-Lalas broadcasts by watching on Telemundo whenever possible. I’m happy to report that they have called in ‘Mr. Tiempo’ to explain the weather situation with helpful hints like ‘seek shelter in a car or building, avoid open spaces like parks, and elevated places such as hills.’ No tips, though, on how to stop the blood boiling when Telemundo is not available.”

Over on the BBC website, they’re saying “there are cheers as the rain eases". The umpires should be out there for an inspection in no time.

“Accident of birth?” says Matty Spindel, picking up a thread from 23:21. “Regarding Kim Thonger’s insight; not sure that George Best in his prime would have tolerated the assertion that being born in Belfast was any mere accident. Words might need to be had…” Ha.

“Maybe at some point,” says Bartel Van Kerckhove, “Fifa should decide to host their celebration of capitalism in a country that actually cares about human rights. It might help with the wrath of the weather gods.”

“My family and I are wondering,” says Emmling, “what happens in the last round of group matches if there’s a weather delay at one stadium. Does the other game have to pause at the same time, in order to keep it fair?” Good question!

“According to Infantino,” says David Wall, “football, and FIFA in particular, can unite the world, bring world peace, find my car keys, turn Coke to Pepsi, and so on. Given all that, you’d have thought they’d have found a way to control the weather too. I’m disappointed. He’s going to have to do much better if he wants a third term as FIFA president.”

Another postcard from the scene of the deluge. “It is pissing rain here in Philadelphia,” says Michael Doo, “and I am inside the stadium concourse with a mass of people making already hot and humid conditions even more hot and humid. I hope my new deodorant can hold up.”

“Worth noting,” says Bob Kurac, “that Bosnia’s (and indeed Herzegovina’s) goalie’s name is also, in translation, Basil.” Nikola Vasilj, I presume.

Something to read while we wait. Ed Aarons has a preview of the England-Ghana game that is not written from an England point of view. It gets off to a lovely start, involving Luis Suarez, Bexleyheath and the whole of Antoine Semenyo’s family.

“It’s amazing,” says Justin Kavanagh, “that FIFA can organize huge, over-the-top pre-game shows, dynamic pricing, and World Cups with a cast of thousands (and that’s just the players), and yet… nobody in the stadium would think of putting a couple of umbrellas in the dugouts for the poor coaches in their Sunday-best suits. And this on a day when thunderstorms have been forecast well in advance here in Philadelphia. Hope they brought some spare tracksuits.”

A thought from Kim Thonger. “When these records are being broken, by indisputably great players,” he says, “I do feel for the goal-scoring greats who never had the opportunity to win golden boots or set records purely because of an accident of birth. George Best. Denis Law. Ian Rush, to name a few. Here’s to them.”

Another email from the ground. “I can report,” says Lucas Schwenk, “we have been asked to evacuate into the concourse and it’s thundering a good bit. Rain is coming down in lashes.”

We have a piece about Lionel Messi. I just hope this headline stands the test of the second half of this game.

“Tim dearest,” says Mac Millings. “Is Joe Hart suggesting that Basil was at Fawlty for the goal?”

A dad writes. “I am near the game,” said John Peeler a little while ago, “and my daughters are actually AT the game. Just north is a tornado warning.”

I was about to say I hoped they were OK when John sent another email. “According to my daughters at the game, fans have apparently been evacuated from the stands.”

“What with Messi bagging a pair and Mbappé already on the scoresheet,” says Colum Fordham, “the race for top goalscorer in this crazy World Cup is well underway. How Messi generates the power with his magic left foot is one thing (even at the ripe old age of 39) but how his younger French rival got such power on his weaker left foot is quite astounding.

“Iraq haven’t been bad but France are just toying with them. ‘Nother level.”

One tiny fact check: Messi doesn’t turn 39 till Wednesday.

On BBC1, Joe Hart has been scrutinising the goal, and the goalie, Ahmed Basil. “I’m telling you, he will have been expecting to save that,” Hart says, as a replay shows the ball not swerving, but arriving sooner than Basil bargained for, and bursting through his hands even though it wasn’t in the corner. “I’m not having a go at him,” Hart stresses. “It keeps happening in this World Cup. It’s not normal.”

Weather latest: it could be a tornado! “I’ve been watching the local coverage here in Philly,” says Nicola Tenaglia, “and my match was interrupted with a tornado warning for the surrounding area. Then right when the commentators starting discussing the rain opening up, I lost power and therefore my feed of the match.”

“This additional hydration break,” says Paul Cockburn, “is overkill.”

45+3 min Another feather in the cap of al-Hamadi, who shrugs off Saliba, but again his team-mates can’t make it count.

45+1 min The free kick is wasted – that may need a mention in Arnold’s next team talk. Which willbe soon, as we’re only getting three added minutes.

45 min Good work again from al-Hamadi, holding the ball up and winning a free kick. I’m not sure the French defenders have met a Tractor Boy before.

43 min The cameras find some fans, who are young, female and absolutely loving the rain. It’s like Glastonbury in the early 2010s.

42 min Mbappé threatens again! Pirouetting through the box, untroubled by the rain – but well stopped by two defenders.

40 min A shot from somewhere near the halfway line! You’ll never guess who has the audacity to do that. Yes, it’s Mbappé, but his magic deserts him as the ball goes over the bar.

39 min Barcola shimmies through the middle of the Iraqi defence. You might almost stay he storms into it, but his final ball is a bit sloppy and easily cut out.

38 min Here comes the rain again! Sheeting down, out of a clear grey sky.

36 min The ref turns a blind eye to a shirt-pull by al-Hamadi on Kone. Maybe his colleagues told him in the break that he had missed one by a French player early on.

33 min The art form I would invoke for Olise isn’t so much literature, it’s dance. He moves with grace and pace and a sense of space. I bet that he looks good on the dancefloor.

31 min The corner is overhit, alas. But whatever Graham Arnold said to his team at the break has has some effect.

“To tune into to watch Michael Olise,” says Kam, “is to summon a relationship between poetry and prose: free-flowing and communal.”

29 min Another Iraq attack, and this time they win a corner on the right.

27 min And al-Hamadi is in the action already. After some nice quick passing, and a cross from Doski on the left, it’s al-Hamadi who jumps highest and gets his head to the ball, but it loops wide.

25 min Sub! For Iraq, who are losing their captain, Aymen Hussein, to what looks like a groin strain. On in his place: our old friend Ali al-Hamadi, of Ipswich, Luton and AFC Wimbledon fame.

24 min “Zizou,” says Peter Oh. “Is it too much to wish for a Zidane winner against France?” Ha.

23 min Hydration break! Yes, they can even do it on a damp Monday night in Philadelphia.

22 min “Many of the neutrals are here for the underdogs as you’d expect,” says one commentator. “Not so sure about that",” says another, “they’re here for Mbappé.”

America loves a celebrity, and a winner, and so far in this World Cup, the few footballers Americans have heard of are scoring most of the goals.

20 min Graham Arnold’s problem is that Les Bleus are coming in waves. When a through ball to Olise doesn’t come off, you only have to wait half a minute for a gorgeous touch from Barcola. They’re an attacking machine, except that they’re too creative to be machine-like.

18 min The Iraqis could be forgiven for going into their shell. Instead they go into the French box! Nothing comes of it as Mike Maignan tidies up.

16 min Mbappé was outside the area, in the inside-right channel, but he hit the ball so hard with his left foot that it was as if it was point-blank. The keeper got there and just couldn’t hold on.

12 min “Iraq are being physical with Spain,” one of the commentators said just now. We know what he means. The foul on Mbappé was by al-Ammari, who got an early yellow card for his trouble.

10 min A slow build-up from France, then they come to life as Dembele plays a one-two with Kounde. Nothing doing yet, but it doesn’t feel very far off.

7 min Foul! On Mbappé, as he makes a lightning-fast turn. France can’t make the free kick tell, but then Olise, who seems to have started at No 10 this time, floats a lovely ball to Mbappé. That brings a corner, a cross, a punch and a shot from Mbappée, curling wide. It’s all happening, already.

6 min The Iraqis are having plenty of possession. Overawed? Non!

3 min An elegant turn from Zidane Iqbal, dropping deep. He starts an attack that might well have brought a free kick, only the ref, Drew Fischer from Canada, didn’t spot a tug of a shirt by Manu Koné.

2 min France are in the area already. Lucas Digne reaches the lyline and plays a cut-back which is cleared. The ball comes back in and Mbappé is close to getting a touch. That would have been quite a way to start your 100th intermational game.

The teams come out, under what looks like heavy cloud cover, and the first anthem is the Marseillaise. Those swoops!

“Pedantic goalscoring email,” says Kieron O’Hara. “Fontaine’s 2.17 per game in 1958 is amazing, but I believe actually beaten by Sandor Kocsis in 1954, with 11 in 5 games, so 2.2. And the best average is surely Ernst Wilimowski for Poland in 1938, who scored 4 goals in his only game, so a pretty hot average of 4.

“Sorry to be boring.”

This is the MBM! A safe space where nobody needs to be afraid of being boring. And anyway, that wasn’t.

And here’s our reporter at the game, Paul MacInnes. “Ground already packed for a match that has been highly anticipated in Philly,” he writes. “The French are here is big numbers (I followed a load of them to the ground today) but the Iraqi contingent is hardly to be sniffed at. They’ve packed out the stand behind one goal, and have been visible all over the city for the past few days.

“Just quickly, but the pre-match has been a weird one. Big load of load music and two hype merchants in the stands getting everyone up. But not all attempts have proven equal. There was a big cheer for the players as the teams were read out (and especially Mbappé) but not so much interaction when the call went up for everyone to ‘Join us in a round of applause for peace!’. I can only imagine Gianni Infantino will be saddened when he hears the news.”

Another good line.

“It’s not impossible that Mbappé scores five tonight,” says Andrew Goudie. “And then Messi would be the shortest ever holder of that record. It would be even better if both got to the final with an equal number of goals.”

As long as you don’t support one of the other teams.

An email from the crowd. “We are in the France section,” says Talley Berry. “No sign of thunderstorms at the moment. Massive party atmosphere up here! Beautiful to see the playful, respectful interactions between the two sets of fans.”

Here’s Matjaz Hribar. “If there will be a storm in Philadelphia during the match,” he wonders, “will FIFA cancel the hydration break and introduce a drying break?” Good question!

And another! “But Tim,” says Dan on a warm Norfolk coast, “Just Fontaine scored 13 in six games in 1958. No-one is bettering that average.”

Good point! Dan is picking up on the fact that some idiot suggested Mbappe had the best goals per match of any World Cup player, when in fact it’s just among players to have appeared in more than one World Cup. That too should be sorted below.

Messi has five goals in two games in this tournament, so technically, right now, he has bettered that average. He’s on 2.5, to Fontaine’s 2.17. But of course there’s a long way to go. And many more teams are involved in 2026, so the early games may be easier for the big guns.

The first email has landed, some time ago actually. “‘He needs only a hat-trick to grab the all-time World Cup record,’” says Steve Gisselbrecht, quoting an early version of my preamble. “Oh please. That’s so 20 minutes ago.”

Good line! And sorry for the blooper – I wrote it in advance, planning to give it a tweak in the light of whatever Lionel Messi had up his sleeve, and thanks to a misunderstanding it went live a little earlier than expected. It’s fixed now – at least I hope so.

There’s been a spectacular storm in Philadelphia. Thunder, lightning, the lot. It led to a request for fans to delay their arrival, but the gates are open now.

Latest on Birthgate. There’s been a climbdown from L’Equipe, one of whose presenters said, à propos Jérémy Doku, that there was no point in a father witnessing the birth of his child. More importantly, the Doku baby has now arrived. It’s a boy called Praise, born in London – which means he will have the option of playing for England, should he become a footballer too.