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By Vikram Iyer — 1 July 2026 — 3 min read

France secured a dominant 3-0 victory over Sweden in the World Cup round of 32, maintaining a perfect record of four wins from four matches. The win sets up a last-16 clash against Paraguay.

The match, held on a warm afternoon in East Rutherford at the New York-New Jersey Stadium, saw Kylian Mbappé score twice, bringing his tournament total to six goals, which places him level with Lionel Messi in the golden boot race. Mbappé’s overall World Cup goal tally now stands at 18, just one behind Messi’s record of 19.

French attacking prowess on display

Michael Olise was a central figure in France’s attacking display, providing two assists and delivering a performance that left a significant impression. Despite Sweden’s efforts to compete and their defensive strategy, France’s attacking quality ultimately proved overwhelming.

Sweden, under Graham Potter, initially presented a challenge with counter-attacking options through Anthony Elanga and Viktor Gyökeres, aiming to link up with Alexander Isak. However, close marking from Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba prevented any serious threats on Mike Maignan‘s goal.

France struggled to break down Sweden’s compact defence for a period, with Mbappé resorting to long-range shots out of frustration. The breakthrough came after a forceful drive from Adrian Rabiot, which was narrowly saved by Swedish goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström. This moment seemed to ignite France’s offensive efforts.

Following a series of French opportunities, including a shot from Mbappé that hit the post and an overhead kick from Olise that also struck an upright, Mbappé opened the scoring just before half-time. The goal came from a short corner routine involving Ousmane Dembelé and Olise, with Mbappé bending a shot past Zetterström from inside the box.

Sweden had an opportunity before the break when Elanga found space, but Jules Koundé intercepted the pass, and Elliot Stroud‘s follow-up shot went over the bar.

Second-half dominance and further goals

France extended their lead eight minutes into the second half. After Sweden lost possession, Aurélien Tchouaméni passed to Olise, who delivered a precise pass for Bradley Barcola. Barcola then entered the box and powerfully struck the ball into the net.

Olise continued to be influential throughout the second half, moving across the forward line, dropping deep, and making runs to create danger. He forced another sprawling save from Zetterström with a shot from distance. His passing was also notable, including a mesmerising triangle with Rabiot and Koundé.

Mbappé secured his second goal of the match and Olise his second assist with 15 minutes remaining. Olise provided another deft pass, which Mbappé met with a perfectly timed run, curling the ball into the far side of the goal.

The French captain celebrated his first goal by embracing coach Didier Deschamps, who had returned after missing France’s final group game against Norway. Deschamps is set to step down at the end of the competition after 14 years in charge, having captained France to their first World Cup win in 1998 and coached them to victory in 2018.

France’s next challenge will be against Paraguay in the last 16, a repeat of their 1998 encounter where France won 1-0 in extra time.

Source: theguardian.com