July 01, 2026
France uncorked a Champagne performance on Tuesday to sweep Sweden aside 3-0 with a display of attacking verve and precision and book their place in the World Cup last 16.
The scoreline flattered Sweden. France’s flamboyant attack might have reached double figures were it not for the woodwork and a series of near-misses measured in millimetres. Paraguay lie in wait, and the exhilarating football France produced here will do little to help the South Americans sleep before their last-16 meeting.
At the heart of it all was French captain and talisman Kylian Mbappe. From the start it had been clear he was a man on a mission.
Mbappe’s two goals lifted his World Cup finals tally to 18, one behind Lionel Messi on the all-time list. Remarkably, those goals have come in just 18 matches, with his double here taking him to six for the tournament.
