2026 WORLD CUP: Mbappe scores twice again in New York, France trounces Sweden 3-0 to reach Round of 16

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EAST RUTHERFORD — It does not feel as though there are many teams on the planet capable of slowing down France, which dominated Sweden in a 3-0 victory at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday evening to punch its ticket to the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Kylian Mbappe scored twice and Michael Olise, whose phenomenal day could have featured at least two goals, had to settle for a pair of assists to lift Les Bleus into the Round of 16 for the fourth consecutive World Cup. With the way they are playing, they should be favored to make a third-straight appearance in the Final, which is in two weeks’ time right back here in New York.

France will play Paraguay, which upset Germany in penalties on Monday, in the Round of 16 on Saturday in Philadelphia.

Another Mbappe masterclass gives him six goals at this World Cup, tying him with Argentina’s Lionel Messi for the top spot. The French talisman, now with 18 career World Cup goals, trails Messi (19) for the all-time goalscoring record by one.

France could have very well made this a laughable affair in the first half alone, considering how close they came to scoring on four, even five, occasions.

After an initial Swedish push, Mbappe scored in the 20th minute, but the goal was disallowed for offside. Ten minutes later, Adrien Rabiot capped off a brilliant and extended French move with a left-footed shot from the left of the penalty area that was kicked away by Swedish keeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.

Mbappe had a shocking miss two minutes later, in the 32nd minute, when Jules Kounde’s pass nutmegged a defender to find the Real Madrid star open in front of a gaping net, but he scuffed the shot and hit it off the left post.

Three minutes later, Olise’s spectacular bicycle kick from 16 yards out was denied only by the right post. The deflection came to Ousmane Dembele at the right of the box, and he curled the follow-up just wide of the left post.

Just seconds after an Olise effort from 20 yards out was saved by the fingertips of Zetterstrom, Mbappe found France’s breakthrough when he received the ball at the left of the six-yard box, weaved through a pair of defenders, and curled his effort inside the right post — a sublime goal that almost seemed ordinary after the Olise miss.

He celebrated his fifth goal of the tournament by running to the bench and embracing his manager, Didier Deschamps, who returned to the touchline after missing the group-stage finale to mourn the passing of his mother.

Olise played the part of helper on France’s second in the 53rd minute, when a little touch pass through the legs of defender Gustaf Lagerbielke played Bradley Barcola clear into the box. He cannoned his chance home, which ultimately spelled curtains for Sweden.

Olise played another brilliant ball to spring Mbappe into the left of the box in the 74th minute. He finished a curling effort into the right corner of the goal for, marking his seventh career World Cup multi-goal game — a new record for the competition.