Mbappé Brace Fires France Into World Cup Round of 16 With 3-0 Win Over Sweden

Kylian Mbappé scored twice to lead France to a dominant 3-0 victory over Sweden at the New York New Jersey Stadium, securing Les Bleus a spot in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16.Sweden’s defensive low block frustrated France early on, but Mbappé broke the deadlock in the 45th minute by converting a cutback from Ousmane Dembélé. Bradley Barcola doubled the lead in the 53rd minute, clinical finishing an opportunity created by Michael Olise. Mbappé then sealed his brace in the 74th minute with a precise curling effort into the bottom corner.Swedish goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström made nine crucial saves to prevent a larger deficit, but Sweden could not break through the French defense and was eliminated. With this victory, France manager Didier Deschamps achieved a record-breaking ninth World Cup knockout stage win, while Mbappé moved to the top of the tournament's scoring charts with six goals. France will face Paraguay next in Philadelphia.