Kylian Mbappe continued his scintillating form by scoring twice as France cruised into the World Cup round of 16 with a commanding 3-0 victory over Sweden on Tuesday, while Norway and Mexico also booked places in the quarterfinals with opening knockout-round wins.
Mbappe's clinical brace at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, took his tournament tally to six goals, drawing him level with Lionel Messi atop the Golden Boot standings.
The France captain also moved closer to World Cup history, raising his career tally to 18 goals in just 18 tournament appearances, leaving him one shy of Messi's all-time record of 19.
Bradley Barcola added the third as Les Bleus delivered another polished attacking display, further cementing their status as one of the favorites to lift the trophy.
Sweden frustrated the defending champions for much of the first half, but Mbappe finally broke the deadlock just before halftime, gliding past his marker before rifling an unstoppable shot into the net.
