TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - France cruised into the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Sweden 3-0 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Tuesday, with captain Kylian Mbappe scoring twice to break the tournament's all-time knockout scoring record and move within one goal of Lionel Messi's overall World Cup tally.
Les Bleus will next face Paraguay in the Round of 16 on July 4 in Philadelphia after the South American side eliminated Germany.
Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring just before halftime following a slick combination with Ousmane Dembélé. The Real Madrid forward skipped past Viktor Gyökeres before firing beyond Swedish goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström to hand France a deserved lead.
The goal marked Mbappe's ninth in World Cup knockout matches, surpassing Brazilian legends Leonidas and Ronaldo as the highest scorer in knockout-stage history.
As reported by ESPN, the France captain immediately ran to embrace head coach Didier Deschamps after scoring. Deschamps had returned to the touchline after missing France's final group-stage match against Norway following the death of his mother.
France had dominated throughout the opening half, striking the woodwork twice before finally breaking the deadlock. Mbappe hit the post from close range, while Michael Olise also rattled the upright with an acrobatic overhead kick after sustained French pressure.
Sweden struggled to contain France's fluid attack despite fielding Premier League stars Viktor Gyökeres, Alexander Isak, and Anthony Elanga. Graham Potter's side rarely threatened as France controlled possession and created the vast majority of scoring opportunities.
Bradley Barcola doubled France's advantage eight minutes after halftime, finishing emphatically after Olise threaded a perfectly weighted pass through the Swedish defense.
Olise, who produced another outstanding display, later provided his second assist of the night by setting up Mbappe for France's third goal in the 74th minute. The striker calmly curled his finish into the far corner to complete another clinical performance.
According to Al Jazeera, Mbappe's brace also lifted him level with Lionel Messi on six goals in the race for the tournament's Golden Boot.
The 27-year-old now has 18 career World Cup goals, leaving him just one behind Messi's overall record of 19 despite having played considerably fewer matches.
Olise's two assists increased his tournament total to five, the highest by a player at a men's World Cup since Thomas Häßler recorded five assists for Germany at the 1994 tournament.
France's 3-0 victory was also their largest knockout-stage win at a World Cup since defeating Brazil by the same scoreline in the 1998 final.
Deschamps, who will step down after the tournament following 14 years in charge, now moves one step closer to ending his tenure with another deep World Cup run. The coach captained France to their first World Cup title in 1998 before guiding the national team to another triumph in 2018.
France will enter the Round of 16 as favorites against Paraguay after another commanding display that highlighted the form of Mbappe, Olise, Dembélé, and Barcola, with tougher challenges expected deeper into the tournament.
Read: France vs Sweden World Cup Lineups: Full Strength at Both Sides
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