Kylian Mbappé delivered a stellar performance by scoring twice, leading France to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Sweden on Tuesday and securing their spot in the FIFA 2026 World Cup last 16. The French forward’s goals came just before and after halftime, while Bradley Barcola added a third goal. Michael Olise played a key role by providing two assists in an impressive collective display.
Mbappé’s brace increased his World Cup career tally to 18 goals, placing him just one behind Lionel Messi on the tournament’s all-time scoring chart. His fifth and sixth goals in this edition also brought him level with Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. The 27-year-old celebrated his opening goal with an emotional embrace of France’s coach Didier Deschamps, who recently rejoined the squad following the passing of his mother. Later, Mbappé was honored with a standing ovation when substituted in the 85th minute, acknowledging the crowd with raised arms.
Reflecting on his performance, Mbappé said, “I wanted to enjoy this World Cup to the fullest. When I was younger, I was focused only on performing. Now I believe I can do both, play well and enjoy the experience.” He emphasized that while he was pleased with his goals, the team’s overall performance was the priority. “I’m happy, but that’s not the most important thing today. We continued to deliver great performances,” he added.
France controlled the match from the start but had to wait until the 45th minute to open the scoring. Both Mbappé and Olise hit the woodwork earlier, and Sweden’s goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström made several crucial saves. The breakthrough came from a short corner involving Olise and Ousmane Dembélé, after which Mbappé cut inside and fired a precise shot past Widell Zetterström.
Early in the second half, Barcola extended the lead by calmly finishing a perfectly weighted through ball from Olise. Mbappé sealed the victory in the 74th minute, converting another incisive pass from Olise with a finish reminiscent of his first goal.
Looking ahead, France will face Paraguay in the last 16 after Paraguay stunned four-time champions Germany in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw. Meanwhile, Sweden’s tournament ended despite reaching the knockout stage for the first time since the postponed 2020 European Championship. Sweden’s manager Graham Potter acknowledged the superior quality of their opponents, stating, “We had to be perfect, and even if we were, I’m not sure it would have been enough because the opponent was of such a high level.”
