Mbappé brace powers France past Sweden into World Cup last 16

Kylian Mbappé produced another masterclass on the World Cup stage, scoring twice as France eased to a convincing 3-0 victory over Sweden to book their place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 at New York New Jersey Stadium on Tuesday.

Bradley Barcola added the other goal in a dominant display from Didier Deschamps’ side, who underlined their status as one of the tournament favourites with a clinical performance against a spirited but ultimately overmatched Swedish team.

The result sets up a last-16 clash with Paraguay, while Sweden's impressive campaign comes to an end.

Sweden made an encouraging start, enjoying spells of possession and creating the game’s first opening when Alexander Isak tested Mike Maignan with an early effort.

Graham Potter’s side looked confident despite facing one of the world’s strongest teams, but France gradually settled into their rhythm and began to dictate proceedings.

Mbappé thought he had opened the scoring midway through the first half after racing through on goal, only for the offside flag to deny him.

France continued to pile on the pressure, with Michael Olise striking the post with a spectacular overhead kick before Mbappé rattled the woodwork from close range.

The breakthrough finally arrived in first-half stoppage time.

Following a cleverly worked short corner, Ousmane Dembélé slipped a precise pass into Mbappé, who shifted the ball onto his right foot before curling an exquisite finish beyond Jacob Widell Zetterström to give France a deserved 1-0 lead heading into the interval.

France wasted little time extending their advantage after the restart.

Aurélien Tchouaméni intercepted a loose pass in midfield before Michael Olise threaded a perfectly weighted through ball for Barcola, who kept his composure to slot home in the 53rd minute and put Les Bleus firmly in control.

Olise continued to orchestrate France’s attacks with remarkable vision and creativity, and his influence was rewarded again in the 74th minute.

The Bayern Munich playmaker split Sweden’s defence with another incisive pass, allowing Mbappé to time his run perfectly before bending a trademark finish into the far corner for his second goal of the night and sixth of the tournament.

France remained dominant until the final whistle, controlling possession and limiting Sweden to only a handful of meaningful opportunities.

Maignan preserved his clean sheet with smart saves from Viktor Gyökeres and Mattias Svanberg late in the contest, ensuring the two-time world champions completed another commanding performance.

The victory continues France’s flawless run at the tournament and reinforces their credentials as serious contenders for a third World Cup title.

Mbappé once again stole the headlines, moving level with Lionel Messi on six goals in the Golden Boot race while taking his World Cup tally to 18 goals.

For Sweden, the defeat marks their earliest World Cup elimination since 1990.

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