​France advanced to the World Cup knockout stage with a 3-0 win over Sweden, as Kylian Mbappé scored twice and Michael Olise delivered a sparkling performance at New Jersey’s stadium. The result sent Didier Deschamps’ side into the round of 16, where they will meet Paraguay, who upset Germany on penalties in a dramatic 4-3 shootout. Mbappé now has 18 World Cup goals, one short of Lionel Messi’s all-time record of 19.
France broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time when Olise and Ousmane Dembélé linked on a corner to set Mbappé up, allowing the Real Madrid star to glide past Viktor Gyökeres and finish clinically. The lead doubled in the 53rd minute when Olise played a through ball to Barcola, who calmly converted. Mbappé sealed the victory in the 74th after another smart Olise pass slid him into the box; he was substituted in the 85th minute and will hope to challenge Messi’s tally in the next match.
Messi can still increase his total as Argentina prepared to face Cape Verde in the round of 32 on Friday, while France were due to play again on Saturday. Mbappé and Messi were tied on six goals each in the tournament, but Mbappé now holds the record for most goals in World Cup knockout-stage play.
Olise nearly produced a spectacular goal in the 36th minute, hammering a bicycle kick from the edge of the box that struck the post, and then forcing Real Madrid goalkeeper Maignan to follow up with a good save after a second attempt near the box. Earlier, Mbappé’s first attempt at 20 minutes was ruled offside.
Barcola added a late assist to Mbappé’s second, and Olise finished with two assists to help propel Mbappé to his brace. Sweden coach Graham Potter said he was proud of a young squad, even as they fell short, acknowledging the quality of France and the disappointment of elimination. France now aims for further progress in the knockout rounds and to improve their search for title defense, while Sweden exits the tournament with valuable experience for its emerging talents. France will seek to capitalize on this win as they chase a potential title with Mbappé aiming to catch Messi’s record and Olise proving himself as a key creator.