Mbappé leads France past Sweden, Deschamps eyes Paraguay clash

Didier Deschamps moved quickly to shut down the growing talk of a third World Cup star after France’s 3-0 win over Sweden sent the defending powers into the round of 16 and set up a July 4 clash with Paraguay in Philadelphia. After a dominant night at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the France coach kept his focus on the next knockout test rather than any trophy math, a familiar posture for a team trying to stay composed between group-stage swagger and elimination-round danger.

Kylian Mbappé did most of the damage against Sweden, scoring twice, including goals in the 45th and 74th minutes, as France controlled the match from start to finish. Bradley Barcola added the third goal in the 53rd minute, completing a result that carried France through the tournament’s first knockout round after three straight wins in group play. Mbappé’s brace lifted him to six goals at the 2026 World Cup, tied him with Lionel Messi on the tournament scoring chart and gave him a record nine goals in World Cup elimination matches.

Deschamps’ own return to the bench added another layer to the night. He had briefly traveled back to France for the funeral of his mother before rejoining the national squad, and the emotional backdrop around him was visible before kickoff. The French Football Federation had tried to honor his mother with a minute of silence, but FIFA rejected the request. The coaching staff instead placed a bouquet of flowers before France’s earlier match against Norway.

Mbappé said the squad had rallied around Deschamps after the loss and that the players did not want to leave him alone. That solidarity came as France looked every bit a contender, not only through Mbappé’s finishing but through the balance of a side that has now won all three group games and kept alive its push toward a third straight World Cup final.

Paraguay now awaits in the round of 16, a test scheduled for Saturday, July 4, in Philadelphia. Deschamps avoided any celebration of a larger destiny in East Rutherford, and France’s next step will be measured less by the noise around a third star than by how well it handles the pressure that begins now.