World Cup: Mbappé scores a brace as France eliminate Sweden
By Luke Oluoch, July 1, 2026Kylian Mbappé’s impressive goal-scoring streak in the 2026 World Cup continued unrelentingly on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, as the French skipper scored a brace in a 3-0 triumph over European rivals Sweden in New Jersey, New York.
Mbappé’s third double of the 2026 tournament puts him at the top of the Golden Boot race, equalling Lionel Messi’s tournament tally of six goals so far. Michael Olise also extended his fine run of form with the 2018 champions, providing two assists in the clash, while Les Bleus claimed a clean sheet to maintain their excellent all-round display in the ongoing edition.
Mbappe’s show
The Bayern Munich winger picked out his skipper with an incisive pass from outside the box, with Mbappé showing rare skill to create space for himself before firing the opener past the Sweden goalkeeper just before the break.
Mbappé fittingly dedicated the goal to his coach, Didier Deschamps, running toward his manager following the tactical mastermind’s family bereavement.
The French side then took complete control of the match proceedings after the break, as Bradley Barcola doubled the lead eight minutes after the restart.
However, the moment ultimately belonged to Mbappé, who rounded up the scoring with a sublime angled shot that sent the French crowd into a frenzy.
It marked his ninth knockout goal across five tournaments, the most by any player in history.
More milestones
Meanwhile, on the tournament’s overall scoring charts, the Real Madrid star has moved to within one goal of Messi’s legendary 19-goal haul. The Argentine maestro will have a chance to respond when Argentina meets Cape Verde in their Round of 16 matchup.
The clash also marked another milestone for Europe’s bright talent, Michael Olise. His brace of assists for France makes him the top assist provider in this World Cup, with a tournament-high five, ahead of Brazil’s Bruno Guimarães.
Concurrently, Didier Deschamps’ men set a tournament record during the clash, as France became the first team in history to score three or more goals in FIVE consecutive matches at the men’s World Cup.
The French now advance to the Round of 16, where they will face Paraguay, who eliminated Germany in a dramatic penalty shootout. The two are scheduled to clash on Sunday, July 5, 2026, at midnight.