Kylian Mbappe breaks another World Cup record. Can anyone stop France?
Another day, another record for the astonishing Kylian Mbappe.
The France striker became the leading goalscorer in World Cup knockout matches, taking his tally to 10 in a brilliant performance as his side crushed Sweden 3-0 to book a place in the last 16.
Mbappe was the standout performer for France in New York New Jersey but this was a consummate team performance from the tournament favourites, who have won all four of their matches this summer, scoring 13 goals.
Adam Crafton, Amy Lawrence and Thom Harris discuss the game’s big talking points.
How did Mbappe light up the World Cup again?
This is Kylian Mbappe’s World Cup, we are just watching it.
Let’s be honest, no matter how determined, how organised, any defence at this World Cup is, there is a sense of inevitability that he and his attacking cohort are going to floor you sooner or later. So it was as he seized the moment to outstrip every other player in history with his number of World Cup knockout goals. And he did it in his style. On song, the way he moves is reminiscent of the iconic phrase that belonged to Muhammad Ali – Mbappe floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee.
Picking up where he left off in the group stage, France’s stellar front man produced an exhibition of his remarkable skillset and was a fraction away from a hat-trick before half time. He had the ball in the net from a rapier break and deadly shot but was a millisecond offside. Then he looked aghast to beat an effort against the base of a post. Third time lucky he would not be denied – weaving into the box and then going for the kill with brutal accuracy.
Kylian Mbappe curls in against Sweden (Jewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images)
He celebrated by sprinting to Didier Deschamps – the man who made him captain and stands by his side when the critics sharpen their tongues – to make sure the manager knows he is loved during a period of personal loss.
Of course it feels like the Mbappe show. But unlike most of the other eye-catching front men at this tournament, one of the keys to Mbappe’s success is that he is not a lone assassin. He thrives when he can combine with his accomplices. The combination play with Michael Olise who roams close enough to look for each other and buzz off one another, and Ousmane Dembele stationed out wide, with Bradley Barcola or Desire Doue taking turns on the left, is a significant part of the full picture. The trio linked up, all quick feet and slinky movement, to give France their lead.
Olise and Mbappe look like best friends in the playground and they did it again in the second half to set up the striker’s second goal.
The level of enjoyment they get from collaborating on the pitch is obvious. So far, it shows no sign of abating.
Amy Lawrence
Can anyone stop France?
If the theme of the knockout rounds so far has been jeopardy and chaos, here came a reminder of order and certainty.
France were controlled and devastating all at once; rarely at risk but always a menace. Their frontline is what many feared it to be before the World Cup began; a frightening array of speed, trickery and brutal finishing.
Kylian Mbappe was once again the game-breaker, breaching Sweden’s defence to open the scoring, but the supporting cast just provide ammunition from every angle. Argentina look the best bet for a challenge but neither they, Spain or England have the variety of attacking threats posed by France, or the balance throughout the side.
France head coach Didier Deschamps celebrates with Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele (Pedro Ugarte/AFP via Getty Images)
On this occasion, France freshened up their left side with Lucas Digne and Bradley Barcola coming in, and there was no suppression of quality. The draw has also opened up kindly for France, with their route to the final becoming clearer: they play Paraguay in Philadelphia on Saturday, rather than a grudge match against Germany, before likely facing Morocco in the quarter-finals, with Spain the most likely challenger in the semi-final. Then we could be on for an encore against Argentina in the final.
Adam Crafton
How close was Olise to scoring the goal of the tournament?
By now, we all know Michael Olise is good, but it can still feel strange to compute that a player who spent five years of his career at Reading and Crystal Palace is now authoritatively the best No 10 in world football.
Once again, Olise purred for France and very nearly scored what would have been the goal of the tournament and one of the great World Cup goals of all time, when he shaped his body on the edge of the box and dispatched an overhead kick flying against the post. The xG on that strike was 0.05, but even that does a disservice to the ingenuity of the attempt.
U.S. readers watch here:
OLISE NEARLY SCORED A WORLDIE 🤯
What an attempt for the 24-year-old star! pic.twitter.com/KPEsGQh4qj
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 30, 2026
UK readers watch here:
Out of nowhere! 😱
Michael Olise casually hitting the post with an overhead kick 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Q5wZAazA5h
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 30, 2026
Sweden’s 4-4-2 set-up did allow Olise generous space to operate between the lines but he took full advantage, dropping deep at times to collect possession in the quarter-back position, but floating right, floating left and at times beyond the forwards, too. He is a player who has ultimate freedom of confidence, as his touch map below underlines: he had 49 touches in the first half alone, the most of any French player.
He then helped France all but shut the game down early in the second half, when collecting the ball centrally, gliding forward with purpose, slipping a pass between the legs of a Swedish centre-back and allowing Bradley Barcola to fire in the second. He then took his tally of assists at this tournament to five by setting up Mbappe for his second goal with another precise pass.
Imagine being so good that Rayan Cherki, one of the sport’s great entertainers and an increasingly effective playmaker, is relegated to a bit-part substitute and nobody can argue it is the slightest bit unfair. That is how good Olise has become.
Adam Crafton
Did Sweden offer France’s rivals any hope?
Graham Potter will have been relatively pleased with Sweden’s opening half an hour. After a switch of system to more of a back four, with Yasin Ayari and Elliot Stroud happy to drop in for extra reinforcements, they largely repelled Didier Deschamps side until Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise clicked into frightening gear.
Sweden defended in a 4-4-2, and were often quick to gallop forward on defensive turnovers. In the opening 10 minutes alone they found four different runs in behind — twice to Viktor Gyokeres, once to Alexander Isak and another to the speedy Anthony Elanga. It led to a handful of half-chances that might have been more had decision-making and timing been a little better.
Alexander Isak had a frustrating afternoon (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
Despite those flashes on the counter, Potter will have probably felt like puffing his cheeks and throwing his hands in the air. The quality of France’s attacking play was irresistible at times, and even with a reasonable tactical set-up, there was little that Sweden could do.
The signs are ominous for the rest of the World Cup contenders.
Thom Harris
Who do France play next?
France will play Paraguay in Philadelphia on July 4 (5pm ET).