Mbappe's Brace Helps France Eliminate Sweden, Equals Messi's Goal Tally in the Top Scorers List

Kylian Mbappe once again proved the difference maker as the France national team sealed their place in the 2026 World Cup Round of 16. The captain netted a brace to guide Les Bleus to a convincing 3-0 victory over Sweden in their Round of 32 fixture at the New York New Jersey Stadium, early Wednesday WIB.

This win further solidified France's status as one of the strongest title favourites. Beyond simply dominating possession, Les Bleus showcased ruthless attacking efficiency that Sweden's defence was unable to contain.

France took control of the ball right from kick-off, though the first clear chance of the match actually came from Sweden.

Bradley Barcola tried his luck with an effort in the 19th minute, but his strike flew high over the crossbar.

One minute later, Mbappe found the back of Sweden's net only for the goal to be disallowed, as the Real Madrid forward was ruled offside prior to receiving the pass.

Adrien Rabiot then saw his 30th minute shot parried away by Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.

Two minutes later, Mbappe threatened again. On this occasion his strike crashed against the crossbar.

Michael Olise came extremely close to opening the scoring with a spectacular bicycle kick in the 36th minute, only for the ball to also hit the frame of the goal before Ousmane Dembele failed to convert the loose rebound.

France's long-awaited opening goal finally arrived in the 45th minute. Receiving possession on the right flank, Mbappe unleashed an accurate curling finish into the top corner of the net. The first half concluded with France holding a 1-0 lead.

After the half-time interval, Didier Deschamps' side asserted even greater dominance over the match.

This control paid off in the 53rd minute, when Michael Olise played an assist that threaded between the legs of Sweden's defenders. Bradley Barcola calmly converted the chance to double France's advantage to 2-0.

Even though Zetterstrom produced multiple outstanding saves throughout the fixture, the Swedish goalkeeper's resistance was finally breached once more in the 74th minute. Having beaten the offside trap, Mbappe scored his second goal of the night to stretch France's lead to 3-0.

With this two-goal haul, Mbappe has now matched Lionel Messi's World Cup goal tally to sit joint top of the tournament's current goalscoring rankings.