Mbappe’s brace propels France into FIFA World Cup Round of 16
Baku, July 1, AZERTAC
The French national football team has secured a decisive spot in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after thrashing Sweden 3-0 at the New York New Jersey Stadium in the United States.
The deadlock was broken just before the interval in the 45th minute when Kylian Mbappe capitalized on a cleverly worked corner routine involving Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise. Mbappe skipped past Swedish forward Viktor Gyokeres before calmly slotting his finish into the bottom-right corner beyond goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.
With this strike, Mbappe recorded his ninth goal in World Cup knockout matches, surpassing football legends Leonidas and Ronaldo, who both hold eight, to claim the record for the most goals scored by any player in the tournament's knockout stages.
Didier Deschamps' side maintained full control of the match, doubling their advantage in the 53rd minute. Olise delivered a superb, nutmegging pass through the legs of defender Viktor Lindelof to find Bradley Barcola, who unleashed a powerful strike from inside the penalty area, leaving Zetterstrom with no chance.
Olise continued to orchestrate the French attack with precision, providing his fifth assist of the tournament. This milestone makes him the first player since Germany's Thomas Hassler in 1994 to record five assists in a single World Cup edition.
Mbappe sealed the comprehensive victory in the 74th minute, timing his run perfectly to latch onto another defense-splitting pass from the clinical Olise before curling an almost identical finish past the Swedish goalkeeper.
The brace brings Mbappe level with Argentina's Lionel Messi, with both players currently leading the race for the Golden Boot with six goals each. Furthermore, the French captain now stands just one goal behind Messi's all-time World Cup scoring record.
While Sweden exits the competition, France will face Paraguay in the Round of 16 phase.
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