France secured a dominant 3-0 victory over Sweden in the World Cup Round of 32, with Kylian Mbappé leading the charge. The win sets up a Round of 16 clash against Paraguay. In another knockout match, Norway made history by winning their first-ever World Cup knockout game, defeating Ivory Coast 2-1, and will now face five-time champion Brazil.
France’s commanding performance
Mbappé opened the scoring for France in the 45th minute with a crossover step and added a second-half goal, bringing his tournament total to six, tying Lionel Messi for the lead. His 18 career World Cup goals place him one behind Messi’s record. Bradley Barcola also contributed to France’s victory with a goal in the 53rd minute. Mbappé’s 10 knockout round goals surpass the previous record held by Brazilian players Leonidas and Ronaldo.
During the match in East Rutherford, N.J., France outshot Sweden 25-7, with 15 shots in the first half alone. The conditions were challenging, with temperatures reaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) and high humidity. Sweden’s captain, Victor Lindelöf, acknowledged France’s skill in controlling the pace and possession of the ball.
France, a tournament favorite and the runner-up in the previous World Cup, has demonstrated strong form, outscoring opponents 13-2 so far. Michael Olise has been a key playmaker, assisting on five goals. The team’s coach, Didier Deschamps, expressed the team’s collective mission. Mbappé himself noted the team’s awareness of their objectives, despite admitting to a timid start in the match.
The first goal came after Sweden goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström tipped Olise’s shot. Mbappé then received a pass from Ousmane Dembélé near the byline, executed a crossover step around Viktor Gyökeres, and sent a diagonal shot into the far post. His celebration for his 61st international goal included a collision with Dembélé and a hug with Deschamps.
For France’s second goal, Aurélien Tchouaméni intercepted a pass, fed Olise, who then nutmegged Gustaf Lagerbielke, allowing Barcola to score. Mbappé was also involved in the third goal, delivering a backheel pass to Barcola, who then passed to Olise, leading to Mbappé’s final goal of the match. The crowd of 80,663, largely clad in France’s blue, contributed to the record total attendance for the expanded tournament.
Norway’s historic advancement
In Arlington, Texas, Erling Haaland scored the decisive goal in the 86th minute, securing Norway’s 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast. This marks Norway’s first-ever win in a World Cup knockout game, advancing them to the Round of 16. Haaland’s goal, his fifth in three tournament games, came after Patrick Berg passed the ball to him in the penalty box.
Antonio Nusa scored Norway’s other goal with a curling kick. Ivory Coast’s Arnard Diallo, who entered the game in the 60th minute, equalized the score in the 74th minute with a left-footed kick in the penalty box. Norway is participating in its fourth World Cup, with its last appearance being in 1998 when they reached the knockout round. That year, they achieved a notable 2-1 comeback win against then-reigning World Cup champion Brazil in the group stage.
Norway’s upcoming match against Brazil will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The 2026 World Cup is notable for its expansion, featuring 48 teams, an increase from the previous 32, which nearly doubles the number of matches. The tournament is being hosted across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with the final scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium.
Tournament outlook
The FIFA World Cup has seen 32 teams advance to the knockout stage after 16 teams were eliminated in the group stage. Among the teams eliminated were Curaçao, Czechia, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, New Zealand, Panama, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, South Korea, Tunisia, Türkiye, Uruguay, and Uzbekistan.
Before the tournament began, Spain was considered the favorite to win, followed by France, England, Portugal, Brazil, and Argentina. Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, won the previous World Cup in 2022. France’s next challenge will be against Paraguay on July 4 in Philadelphia, with the winner advancing to a quarterfinal against either Canada or Morocco five days later in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
The 2026 World Cup final is scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
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Source: latimes.com
