Mbappé Nets Twice as France Shut Out Sweden 3-0 to Reach World Cup Last 16

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (AP): Kylian Mbappé fired France in front with a sharp crossover move on the stroke of half-time, then found the net again after the break to surpass a World Cup knockout scoring benchmark, as Les Bleus routed Sweden 3-0 yesterday and booked a round of 16 clash with Paraguay.

Bradley Barcola struck in the 53rd minute and Mbappé sealed the win in the 74th, marking his third brace in four outings. His six goals at this tournament level him with Argentina's Lionel Messi at the top of the scoring chart and bring his World Cup tally to 18 — one behind Messi's all-time mark.

"I'm very aware of who I am, how I play, what I shall do, but it's not just about me," Mbappé said through a translator. "The entire team is aware of what should be done. It is a new competition that has started today. We did play well, but we were timid. We could have done better at the beginning."

Mbappé now has 10 goals across knockout stages at World Cups, two clear of the previous joint record held by Brazilian legends Leonidas and Ronaldo. When he left the pitch in the 85th minute, France coach Didier Deschamps bowed toward his star from the bench.

"We're on a mission. — so am I with them," Deschamps said through a translator.

France, runners-up at the last World Cup and among the favourites this time, have now scored 13 goals while conceding only two, with Michael Olise setting up five of those strikes.

"They are skilled at knowing when to change the pace and increase it, when to possess the ball, went to fall back," Sweden captain Victor Lindelöf said through a translator.

Chasing a third consecutive World Cup final appearance, France meet Paraguay in Philadelphia on July 4. Whoever wins that tie will play Canada or Morocco in a quarter-final at Foxborough, Massachusetts, five days later.

On a sweltering afternoon at MetLife Stadium — which will host the World Cup final on July 19 — France directed 25 shots at Sweden's goal to their opponents' seven, including a 15-3 edge before the interval. Temperatures stood at 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) at the 5 p.m. kickoff under bright sun and heavy humidity, with air quality also poor.

During the first-half drinks break, France defender Lucas Digne cooled off under a pitch sprinkler. Mbappé rattled the upright in the 32nd minute and threw his hands up in frustration; four minutes on, Olise's acrobatic bicycle kick from just inside the box also struck a post.

In the nations' first-ever World Cup meeting, Mbappé converted after goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström parried Olise's effort just wide of the upright. Olise took a short corner to Ousmane Dembélé, who slipped the ball to Mbappé on the byline. Mbappé shifted past Viktor Gyökeres with a crossover step and, from just outside the six-yard area, curled a diagonal finish inside the far post.