Kylian Mbappe struck twice while Michael Olise produced another outstanding display as France cruised to a 3-0 victory over Sweden on Tuesday, securing a place in the FIFA World Cup round of 16 where they will face Paraguay.
In front of 80,663 spectators at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, France dominated proceedings from start to finish and were rewarded with a deserved lead just before the break.
Mbappe opened the scoring after finishing off a flowing team move moments before halftime.
The French had already threatened repeatedly, with both Mbappe and Olise striking the woodwork during a one-sided first half.
Didier Deschamps’ side maintained their control after the interval and doubled their advantage in the 53rd minute. Olise carved open the Swedish defence with a clever pass that allowed Bradley Barcola to find the net.
The Bayern Munich midfielder then provided another moment of brilliance, setting up Mbappe for his second goal of the night as France wrapped up a comfortable win.
Mbappe’s double took his tally at the tournament to six goals, drawing him level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.
The France captain has now scored 18 goals at World Cups, leaving him just one behind Messi’s overall record of 19.
The forward marked his opening goal with an emotional celebration, running to embrace Deschamps, who had missed France’s final group-stage match against Norway after returning home following the death of his mother.
Deschamps is expected to leave his role after the tournament, bringing an end to a remarkable 14-year spell in charge of the national team.
The former France captain, who lifted the World Cup as a player in 1998 before guiding Les Bleus to the title in 2018 as coach, avoided what would have been a disappointing early exit.
France’s triumph in 1998 included a dramatic 1-0 extra-time victory over Paraguay in the last 16, courtesy of Laurent Blanc’s famous golden goal.
They will renew that rivalry on Saturday in Philadelphia as they seek a place in the quarter-finals.
With Mbappe and Olise once again leading the charge, France looked every bit like title contenders.
Ousmane Dembele also caused problems throughout, while Barcola justified his selection ahead of Desire Doue in the attacking line-up.
Sweden, managed by Graham Potter, struggled to impose themselves despite boasting attacking talents such as Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak and Anthony Elanga. Limited possession and a lack of clear opportunities ultimately left them unable to challenge the French.
Reaching the knockout stage can still be considered a positive achievement for Sweden, who only secured their place at the tournament through the play-offs.
France thought they had taken the lead midway through the first half when Olise released Mbappe through on goal, but the effort was ruled out for a marginal offside.
That decision only intensified French pressure. Mbappe hit the post after meeting a dangerous cross from Jules Kounde, while Adrien Rabiot fired narrowly over the bar.
Olise then came close with a spectacular overhead kick that rattled the upright before Dembele sent the rebound wide.
The breakthrough eventually arrived on the stroke of halftime. Sweden goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom pushed away an Olise effort for a corner, from which Dembele and Olise combined before finding Mbappe, who calmly finished.
Any hopes Sweden had of a comeback faded shortly after the restart. Olise threaded a brilliant pass through the legs of Gustaf Lagerbielke to pick out Barcola, who powered home France’s second goal.
Although Olise missed a chance when sent clear on goal, he quickly made amends with another superb assist, supplying Mbappe for a curling finish in the 74th minute.
France now move on to face Paraguay full of confidence, having produced another commanding display that reinforced their status among the favourites to lift the trophy.
