2026 World Cup: Mbappe equals Messi as France hammer Sweden to reach last 16

Kylian Mbappe continued his World Cup dominance with another brace as France decimated Sweden 3-0 to advance to the Round of 16.

The Real Madrid star scored two goals, sandwiching a third strike from Bradley Barcola, equalling Lionel Messi at the top of the 2026 World Cup scoring charts with six goals.

Playing under intense heat in New Jersey, France quickly imposed themselves on Sweden and created several early opportunities.

Kylian Mbappe had a goal ruled out for offside before striking the post from close range, while Michael Olise also hit the woodwork with a spectacular scissor kick and Ousmane Dembele fired the rebound wide.

Sweden goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom kept his side in the contest with a series of impressive saves, but he was finally beaten just before half-time. Mbappe latched onto a perfectly weighted pass from Dembele, skipped past Viktor Gyokeres with a clever stepover and calmly slotted into the far corner.

Sweden had a golden chance to equalise immediately after the restart, but Elliot Stroud blasted over from 12 yards. That miss proved costly as France doubled their advantage eight minutes into the second half when Bradley Barcola raced onto an Olise pass and rifled his effort into the near post.

Zetterstrom continued to impress by denying both Dembele and Olise, but France’s pressure eventually told again. Mbappe sealed the victory in the 74th minute, collecting another excellent pass from Olise before curling a clinical finish beyond the Swedish goalkeeper.

Sweden nearly grabbed a late consolation, but Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres was denied by Mike Maignan. France will now face Paraguay in Philadelphia on July 4 in the Round of 32.