MbappĂ©âs record-breaking brace leads France past Sweden and into World Cup last 16
Kylian MbappĂ© scored twice in Franceâs 3-0 win over Sweden in the World Cup 2026 round of 32, a performance that sent the holders into the last 16 and rewrote the tournament record books. His brace gave him the all-time lead in World Cup knockout-stage goals and pulled him level with Lionel Messi atop the 2026 scoring charts, setting up a round of 16 clash with surprise qualifiers Paraguay.
Mbappé brace powers France past Sweden as history-making win sends Les Bleus to last 16
Kylian MbappĂ© delivered another defining World Cup performance, scoring twice in Franceâs 3-0 win over Sweden to send the defending champions into the round of 16 and rewrite the tournament record books in the process.
Franceâs victory in New Jersey, part of the round of 32, sets up a lastâ16 meeting with Paraguay and reinforces their status as one of the favourites in a knockout bracket already stripped of Germany and the Netherlands.
A record-breaking night for Mbappé
MbappĂ© struck in firstâhalf stoppage time, finishing off a deft move with a sharp change of direction in the box and clinical low shot to give France control before the interval, then added a second after the break to put the match out of reach for Sweden.(https://sports.ndtv.com/fifa-world-cup-2026/france-vs-sweden-live-score-fifa-world-cup-2026-fra-vs-swe-live-updates-11709854)
Those goals were historic on multiple fronts:
- They took him to nine career World Cup knockout-stage goals, the most in tournament history, moving him clear of Brazilian greats Leonidas and Ronaldo.(https://sports.ndtv.com/fifa-world-cup-2026/france-vs-sweden-live-score-fifa-world-cup-2026-fra-vs-swe-live-updates-11709854)
- They also brought his tally at this World Cup level with Lionel Messi at the top of the 2026 scoring charts.(https://sports.ndtv.com/fifa-world-cup-2026/france-vs-sweden-live-score-fifa-world-cup-2026-fra-vs-swe-live-updates-11709854)(https://www.rte.ie/video/id/34358)
Video highlights from Day 20 of the tournament underscored MbappĂ©âs dominance, with his brace the centrepiece of Franceâs authoritative display.(https://www.aljazeera.com/video/2026/7/1/video-world-cup-2026-highlights)
Barcola completes a statement win
Franceâs third goal came from Bradley Barcola, who capped the performance and ensured Didier Deschampsâ side cruised through without late drama.(https://sports.ndtv.com/fifa-world-cup-2026/france-vs-sweden-live-score-fifa-world-cup-2026-fra-vs-swe-live-updates-11709854)