FIFA World Cup 2026: France thrash Sweden, reach last 16
What's the story
Kylian Mbappe scored twice as France beat Sweden 3-0 to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup last 16. Mbappe's two goals in the match took his tournament tally to six, equalling Lionel Messi at the top of the 2026 World Cup goalscoring charts. The match, played in New Jersey, also saw Bradley Barcola score for the French team. Here are the key numbers.
Game dynamics
How the match panned out
Sweden, who reached the knockout stages after finishing third in Group F, struggled in the first half. A combination of brilliant saves and a few lucky breaks kept them from conceding more goals. Just before half-time, Mbappe drew first blood after receiving the ball inside the area. In the second half, Olise drove at the Swedish defense and played a ball through to Barcola, who thumped it past the Swedish keeper. Mbappe then doubled his tally, breaking Sweden's hearts.
Information
A look at match stats
France had 53% possession compared to Sweden's 38%, with 9% in the contest. The former made 25 attempts on goal, with 12 on target. Meanwhile, Sweden had three on target from eight goal attempts.
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Three-plus goals in five successive matches
As per Opta, France have become the first side in FIFA World Cup history to score three or more goals in five successive matches. They defeated Senegal 3-1, Iraq 3-0, and Norway 4-1 before beating Sweden.