Kylian Mbappe struck twice as France cruised past Sweden 3-0 at the MetLife Stadium, setting up a World Cup last-16 showdown with Paraguay in Philadelphia on Saturday.
In front of 80,663 spectators, Didier Deschamps’ side dominated from the outset, twice striking the woodwork through Mbappe and Michael Olise before the captain broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time. The opener arrived from a corner, with Olise and Ousmane Dembélé combining to find the Paris Saint-Germain superstar, who finished with characteristic aplomb.
Olise, in scintillating form, turned provider after the restart. The Bayern Munich winger threaded a sumptuous pass through the legs of Gustaf Lagerbielke for Bradley Barcola, who lashed home on 53 minutes. He then delivered a delightful curling cross for Mbappe to complete the rout on 74 minutes.
The brace moves Mbappe level with Lionel Messi at the summit of the tournament’s golden boot race with six goals, while his overall World Cup tally of 18 leaves him just one shy of the Argentine’s all-time record.
Deschamps, back in the dugout after missing France’s final group fixture to attend his mother’s funeral, watched his side produce a commanding performance. The outgoing manager, who will step down after 14 years at the helm, now faces a familiar opponent. France famously defeated Paraguay 1-0 in the 1998 last-16 – a golden-goal victory en route to their maiden world title – and will be heavy favourites to repeat that feat.
For Sweden, Graham Potter’s side struggled to gain a foothold. The Premier League trio of Viktor Gyökeres, Alexander Isak and Anthony Elanga were starved of possession, rendering their attacking threat negligible. Having reached North America via the play-offs, their exit marks a respectable campaign, though they were ultimately outclassed by a French outfit that looks increasingly formidable.
Paraguay will require a monumental effort to contain Les Bleus’ relentless attacking verve, with Olise and Mbappe appearing to operate on an entirely different plane.
