France Cruises Past Sweden to Reach Round of 16; Mbappe Scores Twice

France, a strong favorite to win the 2026 FIFA North and Central American World Cup, has advanced to the Round of 16 after a dominant victory over Sweden.

France defeated Sweden 3-0 in the Round of 32 match held at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA.

Star player Kylian Mbappe led the charge to the Round of 16 by scoring two goals.

France, a two-time World Cup champion (1998, 2018) and runner-up in the 2022 Qatar tournament, continues its quest to reclaim the title.

France, which has displayed explosive firepower by scoring at least three goals in all four matches of this tournament, will face Paraguay on July 5 in a bid to reach the quarterfinals. Paraguay reached the Round of 16 after pulling off an upset against Germany.

With captain Mbappe at the forefront, supported by Bradley Barcola, Michael Olise, and Ousmane Dembele, France relentlessly targeted the Swedish goal.

In the 20th minute of the first half, Mbappe found himself in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper following a counterattack, but his right-footed shot, which found the back of the net, was ruled offside.

Mbappe's right-footed shot from the left side of the penalty area in the 31st minute and Olise's picturesque bicycle kick in the 35th minute both struck the goalpost.

Of France's 15 shots and 6 shots on target in the first half, only one found the back of the net in the 45th minute, and the protagonist was Mbappe.

Receiving a pass from Dembele on the left flank, Mbappe used his individual skills to bypass the defense inside the penalty area and fired a right-footed shot to give France the lead.

France, now in full rhythm, extended their lead just eight minutes into the second half with a goal from Barcola, following a sequence of fluid passing.

Then, in the 29th minute of the second half, Mbappe scored the clincher, effectively sealing the victory for France.

Mbappe scored his 5th and 6th goals of the tournament, tying him for the lead in the Golden Boot race with Lionel Messi (Argentina).

Mbappe has achieved the remarkable feat of scoring 18 goals in 18 career World Cup matches.

Olise, who assisted on Barcola's goal and Mbappe's second goal, has taken sole possession of the tournament lead in assists with 5.

France head coach Didier Deschamps, who missed the final group stage match due to the passing of his mother, returned to lead the team to a resounding victory.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.