World Cup: Mbappé scores twice as France beat Sweden to reach Last 16

France put up a great show to qualify for the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after beating Sweden 3-0 in the Round of 32 clash, thanks to the impressive double strike by their captain Kylian Mbappé.

The French hero proved his credentials as one of the best goal scorers of world football once again with the brace in the second half, which ensured that France qualified for the knockout rounds comfortably under their coach Didier Deschamps. Ousmane Dembélé, playing on the left wing of Barcelona, was equally instrumental in scoring the first goal and providing pace to France’s attack in the game.

France started the game on a strong footing and took control of the possession and dominated the game by keeping Sweden in their half. France continued to pressurize Sweden till the end of the first half until they finally got rewarded for their hard work, as Mbappé set up Dembélé perfectly for a simple finish to give France the 1-0 lead at the half-time.

The second goal came in the 53rd minute through Bradley Barcola, who fired home after an excellent cross from Michael Olise. It served as a real knock-out punch for Sweden and meant that France could control the rhythm of the game.

As Sweden tried to find ways to get back into the game, France dealt a deathblow in the 74th minute. Once again it was Olise who played the role of a creator, playing a perfect pass into Mbappé’s feet and allowing him to put home a shot on goal to score his second goal of the game and give France an unassailable 3-0 lead.

An amazing performance by Mbappé showed how crucial the player is to the French team thanks to his smart running, incredible speed and clinical finishing that troubled the Swedish defense all night long. In combination with Dembélé and Olise, Mbappé made the lives of Sweden defenders very difficult, as did Bradley Barcola when he scored his goal.

Sweden, who entered the knockout stage with hopes to cause an upset, were completely dominated by France in terms of quality and attacking potential.

This is a win which ensures that France enters the next round of the World Cup, Round of 16, with the knowledge that they will be facing Paraguay who beat Germany via penalties to join them in the next round.

Mbappe has been exceptional and France has many other attacking players who have helped them win this match. The loss means the end of the World Cup run for Sweden while France progresses with hopes of winning another World Cup trophy in their sights.