France crush Sweden 3-0 as Mbappe nears Messi record
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- Kylian Mbappe scored twice in France's 3-0 win over Sweden, taking his World Cup career tally to 18 goals—one behind Lionel Messi—and drawing level with Messi at six goals in the Golden Boot race
- Didier Deschamps returned to the dugout for the first time after traveling to France for his mother's funeral; Mbappe ran straight to hug him after the opening goal, sparking a team-wide embrace
- France became the first team to score three or more goals in five consecutive World Cup matches and have now netted 13 times in four games in the United States
- Michael Olise added two more assists to his tournament tally of five, becoming the first player to record five-plus assists at a single World Cup since 1994
- France finished the group stage with 25 shots— their highest single-match total at a World Cup since 1998—and advance to face Paraguay in the last 16 on 4 July in Philadelphia
- Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele have combined for six goals at this tournament, more than any duo at a World Cup since records began in 1966, per the article
Why it matters: France's combination of record-breaking attacking depth and visible team unity—amplified by Deschamps' emotional return—has made them the unambiguous tournament favorite heading into the knockouts. With Mbappe within one goal of Messi's all-time scoring record and a forward line that includes Dembele, Olise and Barcola, rival defenses have no single player to key on. France will meet the winner of Canada vs. Morocco in the quarter-finals.
