2026 FIFA World Cup, Round of 32
France 3-0 Sweden
East Rutherford, USA: Kylian Mbappé and Didier Deschamps etched their names deeper into FIFA World Cup history as France eased past Sweden 3-0 on Tuesday to secure a place in the Round of 16.
Mbappé scored twice while Michael Olise starred with two assists as the French giants produced another commanding display to continue their pursuit of a third World Cup title.
France broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time when Mbappe cut in from the left before unleashing a powerful strike into the far corner for his fifth goal of the tournament.
Les Bleus doubled their advantage eight minutes after the restart. Olise split Sweden’s defence with a perfectly weighted through ball for Bradley Barcola, who rifled his finish into the top corner.
Mbappe completed the scoring in the 74th minute after latching onto another incisive Olise pass, beating the offside trap before curling a first-time effort beyond the advancing goalkeeper.
The brace saw the France captain become the highest-scoring player in FIFA World Cup knockout-stage history with 10 goals, surpassing Brazilian legends Leonidas and Ronaldo, who each scored eight.
His fifth and sixth goals of the 2026 tournament also drew him level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.
Mbappé has now scored 18 goals in 18 World Cup appearances, leaving him just one goal behind Messi’s all-time World Cup scoring record.
The two superstars have traded the record throughout the tournament after Mbappe first overtook Messi with a brace against Senegal in France’s opening match before the Argentine reclaimed top spot during Argentina’s victory over Austria.
Deschamps sets World Cup win record
Meanwhile, France head coach Didier Deschamps extended his own World Cup record by registering his 18th victory as a manager in the competition.
The 57-year-old surpassed German coach Helmut Schön’s previous record of 17 wins when France defeated Norway 4-1 last week, despite missing that match after returning home to attend his mother’s funeral.
France will face Paraguay in the Round of 16 on Saturday in Philadelphia after the South Americans stunned four-time champions Germany in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in Foxborough.
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