Mbappé scored twice and Barcola added a third as France dominated Sweden in the last-32 tie at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
8:24 PM
France defeated Sweden 3-0 in a round-of-32 match Tuesday at MetLife Stadium in New York-New Jersey, advancing to the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup.
Kylian Mbappé scored twice, with Bradley Barcola adding the third goal. Michael Olise provided two assists in the dominant performance. The match was attended by 80,663 spectators.
Mbappé opened the scoring just before halftime, finishing a move after France had already struck the woodwork twice. Barcola extended the lead to 2-0 in the 53rd minute when Olise played a pass under the legs of defender Lagerbielke, allowing Barcola to fire home at mid-height. Olise then set up Mbappé for the third goal in the 74th minute.
France controlled the match throughout, creating multiple scoring opportunities from the outset. The team adapted to hot conditions at the stadium, with temperatures and sun intensity requiring adjustment during the afternoon kickoff. Sweden defended in a low block near their goal and attempted to exploit pace on the counter-attack, but were overwhelmed in midfield and pressed back into their own half for much of the contest.
With the victory, France advanced to face Paraguay in the round of 16. Paraguay reached that stage after defeating Germany in a penalty shootout.
Mbappé's two goals brought his tournament tally to six, equaling Lionel Messi's total in this World Cup. Across all World Cups, Mbappé now has 18 goals, moving past Miroslav Klose into second place on the all-time list, one behind Messi's 19. Mbappé also became the leading scorer in the knockout stage with nine goals.
This was Mbappé's third brace of the tournament. France has now scored 13 goals in four matches: 3-1 against Senegal, 3-0 against Iraq, 4-1 against Norway, and 3-0 against Sweden.
Coach Didier Deschamps returned to the bench after missing France's final group-stage match due to the death of his mother. France, runners-up in the last two World Cups, has won 15 of its 18 World Cup matches, with two draws and one loss.
Stephen Eustaquio scored in stoppage time Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles as Canada advanced past the group stage for the first time in World Cup history.
Morocco beat the Netherlands 3-2 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw, advancing to face Canada in the knockout stage.
Gabriel Martinelli scored in stoppage time to secure a 2-1 victory, ending Brazil's 24-year drought in knockout-stage comebacks.
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