France storms into World Cup last 16 with commanding 3-0 win over Sweden, Mbappé double

Mbappé leads France's charge

France delivered a footballing masterclass as they dismantled Sweden 3-0 in the round of 32 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring just before halftime, finishing a quick combination involving Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé to give Les Bleus a deserved 1-0 lead. The Real Madrid forward then completed his brace in the 74th minute, cementing a performance that moved him closer to Lionel Messi's all-time World Cup goal tally. After scoring, Mbappé sprinted to celebrate with head coach Didier Deschamps, a gesture of support after Deschamps had missed the last group match following his mother's death.

Olise and the supporting cast

Bayern Munich's Michael Olise was again at the heart of France's creativity, providing a series of pinpoint passes and coming close to a spectacular goal himself with an overhead kick that struck the post. Following the break, Olise found Bradley Barcola with one of his incisive deliveries, allowing the Paris Saint-Germain winger to slot home and make it 2-0. Ousmane Dembélé, fresh from a hat-trick against Norway, continued his resurgence in the national team, shifting across the front line in a fluid attack.

“It's a way of playing that is not necessarily restricted to fixed positions. It's about finishing attacks in the box. I think they all speak the same football language.”

Sweden overwhelmed

Sweden, with their two elite strikers Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres, rarely threatened a French defence marshalled by Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba. The Scandinavians, who qualified for the knockout phase as one of the best third-placed teams, struggled to contain the non-stop movement of France's front three and were left chasing shadows for much of the contest.

Onward to Philadelphia

The victory sets up a last-16 clash with Paraguay on Saturday in Philadelphia. Having cruised through the group stage with three wins and 10 goals, France look every bit the tournament favourites their star-studded squad suggests.