France 3-0 Sweden: Kylian Mbappe double sends Les Bleus into last 16
A masterclass from Michael Olise and a clinical double from Kylian Mbappe saw tournament favourites France cruise into the World Cup last 16 with a dominant 3-0 victory over Sweden in New Jersey.
Didier Deschamps returned to the dugout following the passing of his mother and witnessed his side put on a swaggering display that emphatically underlined their credentials in front of 80,663 fans at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
Les Bleus were utterly dominant from the first whistle, though they had to be patient after Mbappe hit the woodwork and had a goal ruled out for a marginal offside, while Olise struck the post with a sensational, acrobatic bicycle kick.
The breakthrough finally came on the stroke of half-time when Ousmane Dembele found Mbappe, who cut inside from the left to slot a deft finish past Swedish goalkeeper Jacob Zetterstrom.
It was Mbappe’s 17th career World Cup goal, moving him clear of Miroslav Klose and just two behind Lionel Messi’s all-time record.
The contest was effectively ended eight minutes into the second half when the dazzling Olise, who was the game’s outstanding creative force, unlocked the Swedish defence with a perfectly weighted pass for Bradley Barcola to sweep home.
Sweden offered very little in response, with Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres starved of service as the Blagult struggled to cope with the sizzling tempo of the French front four.
Mbappe then capped a majestic performance in the 74th hour, linking up with Olise once more before curling a trademark, Henry-esque finish into the far corner to draw level with Messi at the top of the 2026 Golden Boot race on six goals.
France’s fourth consecutive win of the tournament sets up a round-of-16 clash against surprise package Paraguay in Philadelphia on Saturday
