Kylian Mbappé set a new record for the most goals scored in World Cup knockout matches, drawing closer to Lionel Messi‘s overall tournament record. His two goals helped France secure a convincing 3-0 victory against Sweden at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Tuesday.
This win marks France’s largest triumph in a World Cup knockout match since their 3-0 victory over Brazil in the 1998 final, setting up a round-of-16 clash with Germany‘s conquerors, Paraguay.
“I understand my role and how I need to perform, but it’s about the entire team,” Mbappé said through a translator. “We all recognize what we need to do. Today marks the beginning of a new challenge. We played well overall, but we were a bit hesitant initially and could have done better.”
– Haaland demonstrates why he’s vital for Norway’s World Cup aspirations
– A critical question for each round-of-16 team
Mbappé netted his first goal with an impressive individual display in the 45th minute, following a stunning crossover move.
With this being his ninth goal in World Cup knockout matches, he surpassed Brazilian legends Leonidas and Ronaldo for the most in tournament history.
The 27-year-old sprinted to coach Didier Deschamps, who was back on the sideline after missing the group stage finale due to his mother’s funeral in Europe.
“He knows he will always have our support,” Mbappé stated.
Mbappé wasn’t finished yet; after Bradley Barcola scored France’s second goal early in the second half, Mbappé added a third in the 74th minute, receiving a perfectly weighted pass from Michael Olise and expertly finishing it into the far corner of the net.
With six goals in this tournament, Mbappé is now tied with Argentina‘s Messi in the race for the Golden Boot and has now scored 18 goals across 18 World Cup matches, just one behind Messi’s record. Messi has participated in 29 World Cup games throughout his career.
Deschamps showed his admiration as Mbappé was substituted in the 85th minute.
“We are on a mission, and I’m committed to it alongside them,” he said through a translator.
Olise added to his accolades by assisting Barcola’s goal, bringing his tally to five assists, the highest by any player in a men’s World Cup since Thomas Hässler in 1994.
“He excels in every aspect of the game,” Barcola said of Olise. “He performs well defensively and offensively, delivers great passes, creates danger, and it’s a true pleasure to be on the pitch with him. He can score too; it’s only a matter of time. He’s a genius in my eyes.”
As they aim for their third consecutive World Cup final, France is set to face Paraguay on Saturday in Philadelphia, with the winner progressing to a quarterfinal against Canada or Morocco five days later in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
In sweltering conditions at MetLife Stadium, which will host the World Cup final on July 19, France dominated the shot count with 25 to Sweden’s 7, including 15 attempts to 3 in the first half. The temperature reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) with high humidity. During a hydration break, defender Lucas Digne humorously doused himself with a sprinkler.
Mbappé struck the post in the 32nd minute, expressing his frustration with a hand gesture. France nearly scored again soon after with a stunning bicycle kick from Olise, which also hit the post.
In the first World Cup encounter between the two nations, Mbappé opened the scoring after goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström deflected Olise’s shot just wide.
Olise initiated the first goal with a short corner to Ousmane Dembélé, who set up Mbappé with a precise pass near the byline. After making a crossover step to evade Viktor Gyökeres, Mbappé launched a diagonal strike just inside the far post for his 61st international goal.
Gustaf Lagerbielke mishandled the ball ahead of France’s second goal. Aurélien Tchouaméni found Olise, who skillfully nutmegged Lagerbielke, allowing Barcola to make a key touch and send the ball past Zetterström’s outstretched arm.
Mbappé dazzled the audience with a backheel pass to Barcola leading up to the third goal. Barcola relayed the ball to Olise, who then set up Mbappé as he surged into the penalty area. After taking a touch to steady himself, Mbappé fired it into the far side of the net.
The match drew a crowd of 80,663, pushing the total attendance for the expanded 104-match tournament above 5 million. The majority of fans sported France’s signature blue, while a smaller group wore Sweden’s yellow.
“Reflecting on our journey up to this point, we’ve made it to the World Cup,” stated Sweden defender Victor Lindelöf. “We lost to one of the world’s best teams.”
Mbappé was not ready to shift his focus to Paraguay just yet.
“I’m just looking forward to chilling in the locker room with some air conditioning,” he remarked.
Reported by ESPN’s Julien Laurens, The Associated Press, and ESPN Research.