Mbappe brace fires France past Sweden to set up Paraguay last-32 clash

Kylian Mbappe scored twice and Bradley Barcola added a third as France swept aside Sweden 3-0 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Tuesday, booking a last-32 meeting with Paraguay in Philadelphia on Saturday.

Deschamps’ side started slowly and hit the woodwork twice in the opening half, but Mbappe broke the deadlock with a moment of individual brilliance shortly before the interval. France did not relent after the break: Michael Olise threaded an elegant through-ball for Barcola to make it two, before producing a slide-rule pass that allowed Mbappe to complete the rout. The captain’s second of the evening drew him level with Lionel Messi on seven goals in the race for the Golden Boot.

The result confirmed France as the first team in history to score three or more goals in five successive World Cup fixtures — a record that underlines just how ruthless Didier Deschamps’ side have become in this tournament.

For Sweden, the defeat ends a remarkable run that few predicted. After failing to win any of their six qualifying matches, Graham Potter’s side earned a backdoor route through the 2024 Nations League play-offs, beating Ukraine 3-1 before edging past Poland in a five-goal final. In North America they opened with a 5-1 win over Tunisia, suffered a 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands, and then secured progress as one of the eight best third-placed teams courtesy of a 1-1 draw with Japan.

Deschamps himself returned to the dugout having travelled back to France last week following the death of his mother, and his side gave him the most emphatic of welcomes back. France now face a Paraguay team that eliminated Germany on penalties — a reminder, if one were needed, that reputation counts for little once the knockout rounds begin.