France powered into the last 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a convincing 3-0 victory over Sweden in New York, thanks to another standout performance from captain Kylian Mbappé.
The France skipper netted twice, either side of a second-half strike from Bradley Barcola, as Didier Deschamps’ side produced a dominant display at the MetLife Stadium in front of over 80,000 spectators.
France were in control from the opening minutes, creating several clear chances and striking the woodwork through Mbappé and Michael Olise before finally breaking the deadlock just before half-time. Mbappé finished off a flowing attacking move to hand Les Bleus a deserved lead.
After the break, France continued to dictate the tempo. Olise was once again instrumental, setting up Barcola for the second goal before delivering a brilliant assist for Mbappé to complete his brace in style.
The result underlines Mbappé’s growing influence at the tournament. The French captain now moves level with Lionel Messi on six goals in the race for the Golden Boot and edges closer to the all-time World Cup scoring record.
Despite featuring attacking stars such as Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak, Sweden struggled to create meaningful chances as France’s defensive structure limited them throughout the match.
France now progress confidently into the knockout stage, where they will face Paraguay in Philadelphia as they continue their pursuit of another World Cup crown.
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Story by Xavier Mensah | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Erica Odeenyin Odoom
