Captain Kylian Mbappé delivered another outstanding performance, scoring twice as France cruised to a 3-0 victory over Sweden in their FIFA World Cup Round of 32 clash played overnight at New York Stadium in New Jersey, United States.
Mbappé opened the scoring in the 43rd minute, finishing off a pinpoint cross from Ousmane Dembélé to hand Didier Deschamps’ side a deserved lead before halftime, despite Sweden’s determined defensive efforts against France’s relentless attacks.
Bradley Barcola doubled France’s advantage after combining brilliantly with Michael Olise before setting up Mbappé, who calmly netted his second goal and France’s third in the 74th minute.
According to tournament statistics, Mbappé has now scored 18 goals in World Cup history, leaving him just one goal behind Lionel Messi. The French superstar has also taken his tally to six goals in this year’s tournament, matching Messi’s record.
“We’ve been playing well, and we need to stay focused as we move into the next stage,” France head coach Didier Deschamps said after the victory.
France will now travel to Philadelphia, where they will face Paraguay on Saturday in the Round of 16 as they continue their quest for a third FIFA World Cup title.
