Kylian Mbappe scored twice as France eased past Sweden 3-0 to reach the FIFA World Cup last 16, where Les Bleus will face Paraguay after another dominant display.
France booked their place in the FIFA World Cup last 16 with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Sweden at MetLife Stadium, as Kylian Mbappe once again proved the difference with a clinical brace.
🇫🇷 France have qualified for the Round of 16!#FIFAWorldCup
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 30, 2026
Didier Deschamps’ side controlled the knockout clash from start to finish and now head into the next round full of confidence after another impressive attacking display.
The opening stages were scrappy, with both teams guilty of giving away cheap fouls that prevented the game from finding any real rhythm. Sweden created the first meaningful opportunity when Alexander Isak tested Mike Maignan in the third minute, but it proved to be one of the few moments the French defence was genuinely troubled throughout the contest.
Sweden’s direct approach revolved around Viktor Gyokeres, while France struggled initially to free Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele from close attention. Lucas Digne’s long-range effort was Les Bleus’ only notable attempt during the opening quarter-hour, before Bradley Barcola burst clear from midfield only to blaze over with the goal at his mercy.
France thought they had finally broken the deadlock when Mbappe raced onto a through ball and finished confidently, but celebrations were cut short after the assistant referee raised his flag for offside. The warning signs, however, were becoming increasingly clear as the French attackers continued to stretch Sweden’s disciplined defence line.
A strong performance sees France through 💪#FIFAWorldCup
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 30, 2026
Although Sweden remained compact with plenty of bodies behind the ball, France continued to create the better openings. Mbappe struck the post, while Michael Olise came within inches of scoring one of the goals of the tournament with an audacious overhead kick that crashed against the upright. Their persistence finally paid off on the stroke of half-time when a cleverly worked short corner routine ended with Mbappe drilling home his fifth goal of the tournament.
France wasted little time after the restart in tightening their grip on the match. Olise produced a superb defence-splitting pass that nutmegged a Swedish defender before finding Bradley Barcola, who finished emphatically beyond Jacob Widell Zetterström to double Les Bleus’ advantage and leave Sweden with a mountain to climb.
With a two-goal cushion, France dictated possession and forced Sweden to spend long spells chasing the ball. Olise continued to torment the Scandinavian defence and was denied on multiple occasions by Zetterström before eventually providing another moment of brilliance.
His perfectly weighted through ball found Mbappe, who curled a composed finish into the far corner to make it 3-0 and draw level with Lionel Messi in the race for the tournament’s Golden Boot, while also becoming the competition’s leading assist provider.
Again and again 📈#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/McMG3YjW8h
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 30, 2026
The victory also saw France become the first team in World Cup history to score at least three goals in five consecutive tournament matches. Les Bleus now march into the last 16 as the competition’s highest-scoring side, where Paraguay await, while Sweden bow out after suffering their first-ever defeat against France in major tournament football.
