France Beat Sweden 3-0 as Mbappe Matches Messi’s World Cup Goal Tally

KUALA LUMPUR, JULY 2026 — France continued their impressive FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory over Sweden in the Round of 32 at MetLife Stadium, booking their place in the Round of 16 against Paraguay.

Kylian Mbappe once again became the centre of attention after scoring twice for Les Bleus, while Bradley Barcola also found the net in a dominant performance from Didier Deschamps’ side.

France controlled most of the match in front of more than 80,000 spectators, showing strong attacking movement, quick passing and consistent pressure against a Sweden side that struggled to gain possession.

Mbappe opened the scoring shortly before half-time after finishing a well-worked move from his teammates. The goal gave France the breakthrough they needed after earlier attempts from Mbappe and Michael Olise had both struck the post.

France returned after the break with the same attacking intensity and doubled their lead in the 53rd minute. Olise, who had already been one of France’s most dangerous players, created the second goal for Barcola, who calmly converted to put Les Bleus firmly in control.

Olise then produced another quality assist in the 74th minute, setting up Mbappe for France’s third goal of the night. The strike completed a brilliant individual performance from the French captain and sealed Sweden’s elimination from the tournament.

Mbappe’s two goals took his total in the current World Cup Golden Boot race to six, putting him level with Lionel Messi. The French forward now has 18 career World Cup goals, placing him just one behind Messi’s overall record of 19.

At only 27 years old, Mbappe still has a strong chance to move ahead of Messi’s tally as France continue their run in the knockout stage.

The match also carried emotional significance for France coach Didier Deschamps. Mbappe celebrated his opening goal by embracing Deschamps, who had missed France’s final group match against Norway after returning to France following the death of his mother.

Deschamps is expected to leave the national team after the tournament, bringing an end to a highly successful 14-year spell as France head coach. He previously led France to World Cup glory as a player in 1998 and again as coach in 2018.

For Sweden, the defeat marked the end of their World Cup journey. The team, coached by Graham Potter, entered the knockout stage after qualifying through the play-off route, which was already considered a positive achievement.

However, Sweden’s attacking trio of Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak and Anthony Elanga were unable to make a major impact due to France’s control of possession and defensive discipline.

France had already shown their attacking threat early in the match, with Mbappe having a goal ruled out for offside in the 20th minute. Despite Sweden’s attempt to stay compact, France’s pressure eventually became too much to handle.

The result reinforces France’s status as one of the strongest contenders for the World Cup title. With Mbappe, Olise, Barcola and Ousmane Dembele providing pace and creativity, Les Bleus look increasingly dangerous heading into the next round.

France will now face Paraguay in the Round of 16 in Philadelphia. Paraguay are expected to provide a physical and disciplined challenge, but France will enter the match with confidence after another convincing performance.

For Mbappe, the victory was another reminder of his growing legacy on the world stage. With his goals, leadership and consistency, he remains one of the biggest names in the tournament and a leading contender for both the Golden Boot and the World Cup trophy.