Kylian Mbappé scored twice Tuesday, breaking a World Cup knockout-round scoring record and leading France to a 3-0 victory over Sweden. The win advances France to a Round of 16 match against Paraguay.
Mbappé opened the scoring in the 45th minute with a crossover step and added another goal in the 74th minute. His six goals in the tournament tie Lionel Messi for the lead, and his 18 career World Cup goals place him one shy of Messi's record. Mbappé's 10 knockout-round goals surpass the previous high of eight set by Brazilian legends Leonidas and Ronaldo.
France, the runner-up in the previous World Cup and a favorite in this tournament, has outscored opponents 13-2. Michael Olise has contributed five assists.
"We're on a mission. — so am I with them," France coach Didier Deschamps said. "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."
France will face Paraguay on July 4 in Philadelphia. The winner will advance to a quarterfinal against either Canada or Morocco.
The match was played under hot and humid conditions at MeLife Stadium, with temperatures reaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius). France outshot Sweden 25-7, including 15-3 in the first half.
Mbappé nearly scored in the 32nd minute, hitting the post, and teammate Michael Olise also struck a post with a bicycle kick shortly after. In the first World Cup meeting between the two nations, Mbappé's opening goal came after Olise's shot was tipped just outside the post by Sweden's goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström. The play involved a short corner kick to Ousmane Dembélé, who passed to Mbappé near the byline. Mbappé then maneuvered around Viktor Gyökeres to score.
Bradley Barcola extended France's lead in the 53rd minute. Following a turnover by Gustaf Lagerbielke, Aurélien Tchouaméni passed to Olise, who dribbled past Lagerbielke. Barcola then took a centering touch and scored.
Mbappé completed the scoring in the 74th minute, assisted by Olise. The crowd of 80,663 raised the tournament's total attendance above 5 million. France's blue jerseys were dominant in the stands, contrasted by a section of Sweden's yellow.
"If we look at where we were not so long ago — we're here and we've played in the World Cup," said Sweden captain Victor Lindelöf. "We lost against one of the best countries in the world."