KYLIAN MBAPPE had World Cup fans in stitches as he got involved in the pitch clearing efforts in Philadelphia.
The Group I contest between France and Iraq suffered a half-time rain delay that last over two hours due to massive downpours on the East Coast.
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Kylian Mbappe surprised fans by helping the grounds staff clear the pitch of water after a storm Credit: AP
The forward pointed out wet spots as he tried to help get the game underway after more than two hours Credit: Reuters
The delay ran an agonising 130 minutes as the stormy conditions eventually died down.
Ground staff at Lincoln Financial Field, typically the home of the NFL‘s Philadelphia Eagles, then began to clear the pitch of any standing water, using mops to push the water from the pitch.
But they had an unexpected assistant in their task – France star forward Mbappe, who had opened the scoring in the 14th minute during the first period.
The Real Madrid star was seen on the pitch testing different areas and directing the ground staff as to which parts of the pitch they should focus their efforts.
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Fans found the bizarre sight of Mbappe impatiently pointing out puddles to be hilarious.
One wrote: “Mbappé doing side quests before the match starts.”
Another joked: “The most expensive groundskeeper in history.”
While a third fan added: “He’s genuinely so funny.”
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Mbappe had been pummelled by rain on the pitch before the delay Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
Perhaps the judicious pitch inspection paid off, with Mbappe completing his double just nine minutes into the second half after a howler at the back for Iraq.
Ousmane Dembele then got amongst the goals to cap off a 3-0 victory for Les Bleus.
Mbappe did not seem overly patient in his pointing out of the patches, and seemed to order the ground staff around more so than simply working with them as a spotter.
But he explained after the match that his snappy demeanour was not a sign of frustration, but concern over each half of the pitch being affected differently by the rain.
It worked out for France in the end, cruising to a 3-0 win over Iraq Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
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When asked if he was annoyed with the time it was taking to get the game back underway, he replied: “No, it wasn’t that. It wasn’t annoyance, but because the side of the pitch where we were attacking was waterlogged.
“They spent 20 minutes clearing the side where we defend, but they didn’t spend any time clearing the side where we attack. So that’s a disadvantage.
“I wanted them to spend the same amount of time clearing both parts of the pitch. Or if they had to choose, clear the one where we attack. It slows things down on the other side, so it was more about that.
“It wasn’t their fault, because they were told to go over there and the other group wasn’t ready, so it’s no big deal, it was just in the moment.
“I think the fact that you wait for 2 hours, and when you arrive, you see that they didn’t actually protect the pitch. Normally they are supposed to cover it, so it’s a minor frustration, but it passes.”
