France secured a dominant 3-0 victory over Sweden in the World Cup Round of 32, with Kylian Mbappé scoring two goals and Bradley Barcola adding another. The win sets up a Round of 16 match against Paraguay for France. Meanwhile, Norway advanced to the Round of 16 for the first time in a World Cup knockout game, defeating Ivory Coast 2-1, with Erling Haaland scoring the decisive goal. Norway will now face five-time champion Brazil.
France’s commanding performance
In a match held in East Rutherford, N.J., Mbappé opened the scoring for France in the 45th minute with a crossover step, followed by a second-half goal. Barcola contributed a goal in the 53rd minute, and Mbappé completed France’s scoring in the 74th minute. This marked Mbappé’s third two-goal game in four matches, bringing his tournament total to six goals, tying him with Argentina forward Lionel Messi. His 18 World Cup career goals place him one behind Messi’s record.
Mbappé’s 10 knockout round goals surpass the previous record held by Brazilian players Leonidas and Ronaldo. France coach Didier Deschamps acknowledged Mbappé’s performance when the player was substituted in the 85th minute. France, the runner-up in the previous World Cup, has outscored opponents 13-2 in the current tournament, with Michael Olise providing five assists.
Sweden’s captain, Victor Lindelöf, noted France’s skill in controlling the game’s pace and possession. Despite the 3-0 scoreline, Mbappé suggested that France could have performed better at the start of the match. The game saw France outshoot Sweden 25-7, including 15-3 in the first half, in warm and humid conditions.
Mbappé’s first goal came after Jacob Widell Zetterström, Sweden’s goalkeeper, tipped Olise’s shot. Olise then played a short corner to Ousmane Dembélé, who passed to Mbappé. Mbappé maneuvered past Viktor Gyökeres and sent a diagonal shot into the far post. His 61st international goal was celebrated with Dembélé and Deschamps.
For France’s second goal, Aurélien Tchouaméni intercepted a pass, fed Olise, who then nutmegged Gustaf Lagerbielke, allowing Barcola to score. Mbappé was involved in the buildup to the third goal, delivering a backheel pass to Barcola, who then passed to Olise. Olise set up Mbappé, who scored his second goal of the match.
The match, which was the first World Cup encounter between France and Sweden, drew a crowd of 80,663, contributing to a total attendance exceeding 5 million for the expanded 104-match tournament. France will play Paraguay on July 4 in Philadelphia, with the winner advancing to a quarterfinal against Canada or Morocco five days later in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Norway’s historic advance
In Arlington, Texas, Norway achieved its first World Cup knockout game victory with a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast. Erling Haaland scored the winning goal in the 86th minute, his fifth goal in three games in the tournament. Patrick Berg assisted Haaland’s goal after drawing three defenders.
Antonio Nusa scored Norway’s other goal with a curling kick. This marks Norway’s fourth appearance in the World Cup. They will face Brazil in the Round of 16 on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. This upcoming match will occur 28 years after Norway’s 2-1 comeback win against Brazil in the 1998 World Cup group finale.
Ivory Coast’s Arnard Diallo equalized the score in the 74th minute with a left-footed kick in the penalty box, after coming on as a substitute in the 60th minute. Norway had maintained a one-goal lead into the second half before Diallo’s goal.
Tournament overview
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being held across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, marking the largest tournament to date with an expansion from 32 to 48 teams. The final is scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Before the tournament began, Spain was considered the favorite to win. Other teams favored included France, England, Portugal, Brazil, and Argentina. Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, won the 2022 World Cup.
The group stage saw 16 teams eliminated, with 32 advancing to the knockout rounds. Eliminated teams included Curaçao, Czechia, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, New Zealand, Panama, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, South Korea, Tunisia, Türkiye, Uruguay, and Uzbekistan.
Fans can watch the matches through various streaming options globally, including free access in countries like Australia via SBS On Demand and in the UK via BBC iPlayer and ITVX. In the US, all 104 games are broadcast on FOX or Fox Sports 1 (FS1).
The next match for France is against Paraguay on July 4 in Philadelphia.
Source: latimes.com