France produced one of the standout performances of the FIFA World Cup knockout stage with a commanding 3-0 victory over Sweden to book their place in the last 16.
Kylian Mbappe starred with a brilliant brace at the New York New Jersey Stadium, while Bradley Barcola also found the net as Didier Deschamps’ side underlined their status as one of the tournament favourites. France will now face Paraguay in the next round.
After dominating possession for much of the opening half, France finally broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time through Mbappe.
The captain collected a pass from Ousmane Dembele before producing a superb solo run and finish to beat the Swedish defence, giving Les Bleus a deserved 1-0 lead heading into the interval.
France wasted little time extending their advantage after the restart. Just eight minutes into the second half, Michael Olise supplied a perfectly weighted pass for Barcola, who calmly slotted home to double the lead.
Sweden struggled to respond as France continued to dictate the tempo with slick passing and relentless attacking play.
Mbappe put the contest beyond doubt in the 74th minute with his second goal of the night. Olise once again turned provider, threading an excellent pass into the forward, who finished confidently to make it 3-0.
The strike took Mbappe’s tally to six goals at the tournament, drawing him level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot, while Olise registered his fifth assist of the competition.
Sweden had a few opportunities to reduce the deficit, with Viktor Gyokeres wasting their best late chance by firing straight at goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
Jacob Widell Zetterstrom also denied Barcola a fourth goal, but Graham Potter’s side rarely looked capable of mounting a comeback against a French team that controlled proceedings from start to finish.
Deschamps rested several key players in the closing stages as France comfortably saw out the victory to secure their place in the last 16.
With Mbappe in sensational form and Olise continuing to create chances at will, France sent a strong warning to their World Cup rivals as they prepare for a meeting with Paraguay in the next round.
