Kylian Mbappe continues living his best World Cup as France routs Sweden

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Kylian Mbappe said he wanted to enjoy his third World Cup.

Apparently, that’s bad news for his opponents.

Mbappe scored his 17th and 18th career World Cup goals to keep chasing Lionel Messi and tournament history in France’s 3-0 victory over Sweden in Tuesday’s round of 32 clash.

In doing so, the 27-year-old star for the two-time World Cup champions visibly embraced the big moments.

After scoring his first goal, he raced to the sideline and hugged manager Didier Deschamps, who recently had returned to the team after missing the group finale due to the death of his mother.

And when he was summoned off the pitch in the 85th minute to a standing ovation – particularly from French fans behind the north goal — he raised both arms and spun around to the whole stadium in a wave of appreciation.

“I did say that I wanted to enjoy this World Cup to the fullest,” Mbappe said through an interpreter. “I’m not saying that the other World Cup(s) I did not enjoy, but I was younger. I was focused then in delivering the best performances.

“And today, I believe I can do both: delivering great performances and obviously enjoying (it).”

Mbappe moved within one goal of Messi on the all-time tournament list and, with his fifth and sixth goals of this year’s tournament, pulled even with the 39-year-old in the Golden Boot chase.

Provided his favored France side make another deep run, he’s on pace to shatter his total of eight in a single World Cup from 2022, when he helped Les Bleus to a runner-up finish against Messi’s Argentina and scored the second hat trick in a World Cup final.

He also scored four times during France’s run to the 2018 World Cup title.

“Well, I’m happy, but it’s not the most important (thing) today,” Mbappe said of his brace. “We continued delivering great performances.”

Messi and Argentina face Cape Verde on Friday in Miami Gardens, Fla., in their round of 32 meeting.

Bradley Barcola added his second goal of the tournament after halftime, and Michael Olise had two assists.

Deschamps’ side will next play on Saturday in Philadelphia against Paraguay, who shocked four-time champions Germany on penalties following a 1-1 draw on Monday in Foxborough, Mass.

“This game was important. It is a new competition starting (in the knockout phase), as we said earlier on,” Mbappe said. “Now we have to focus on Paraguay. We have another game to win.”

Sweden are eliminated following one of the more turbulent World Cup stays in recent memory, defeating Tunisia 5-1 and then losing to the Netherlands by the same score before drawing their group finale 1-1 against Japan to reach the knockout phase.

It was their first time advancing from a group in a major tournament since the 2020 European Championships (played in 2021). Sweden failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup and 2024 Euros.

“I thought, in terms of the game, we had to be perfect,” said Sweden manager Graham Potter. “And even if we were, I’m not sure that would’ve been enough, if I’m being brutally honest. Because the opponent was of a high level.”

Les Bleus were dominant in the first half, with Mbappe and Olise both hitting the woodwork and Olise forcing Jacob Widell Zetterstrom into an exceptional low diving save.

After the exasperation of those near misses, Mbappe gave Les Bleus the deserved lead in the 45th minute.

Olise and Ousmane Dembele combined from a short corner to slip Mbappe in on the left side of the box. Mbappe cut back to his right against Viktor Gyokeres, then finished emphatically past Widell Zetterstrom.

Barcola doubled the advantage eight minutes after the break, finishing past Widell Zetterstrom on the break after running into Olise’s slick throughball that passed through a Sweden defender’s leg.

Mbappe completed the French scoring in the 74th minute, running onto yet another slicing ball from Olise through the left side of the penalty area before scoring on a very similar finish to his opening goal.

–Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media