France Beat Sweden 3-0 as Mbappe Matches Messi
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- France beat Sweden 3-0 in the World Cup round of 32, with Gary Neville calling it a "statement" performance that showed Les Bleus are "a level above" every other team in the tournament.
- Kylian Mbappe scored twice at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey, pulling level with Lionel Messi in the tournament's Golden Boot race.
- Bradley Barcola netted France's middle goal, sandwiched between Mbappe's two strikes, as Neville highlighted an attacking quartet of Mbappe, Barcola, Michael Olise, and Ousmane Dembele that will "cause nightmares for every single defender."
- Neville compared Mbappe to Brazilian Ronaldo, saying the France captain "reminds me of the Brazilian Ronaldo" and is "on the verge of greatness," adding: "This is the Mbappe World Cup."
- France will face Paraguay — who eliminated Germany in the round of 32 — in the last 16 on Saturday in Philadelphia.
- Neville framed the win in the context of other results, noting "Brazil won in the last minute, Germany and the Netherlands went out," and saying France are "showing everybody in this round how to do it."
Why it matters: With pre-tournament heavyweights Germany and the Netherlands already eliminated, France's 3-0 dismantling of Sweden in the round of 32 positions Les Bleus as the clear tournament favorites heading into the knockout rounds. Mbappe drawing level with Messi in the Golden Boot race this early signals a potential individual accolade chase running in parallel with France's title bid, while Neville's Brazilian Ronaldo comparison raises the bar for what is expected of the 27-year-old captain.
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