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Kylian Mbappe scored a brace in France's 3-0 victory over Sweden. |
The 3-0 victory against Sweden in the Round of 16 on the morning of July 1st was not simply a ticket to the next round. It was a warning. On a sweltering afternoon in New Jersey, the French team showed why they are considered the strongest contender for the 2026 World Cup title.
Sweden wasn't a particularly strong opponent. But it was France's approach to the game that was noteworthy. They didn't need to push themselves, they didn't need to play at maximum intensity throughout the entire match, yet they still gave the impression they could accelerate at any moment. In the first half, France only scored one goal, but hit the post twice, created a series of chances that could have been spectacular goals, and only allowed Sweden one shot on target.
In the second half, the question was no longer whether France would score more goals, but when. Mbappe scored a brace. Michael Olise provided two assists. Ousmane Dembele , Bradley Barcola, Olise, and Mbappe all contributed to goals or assists. Such an attacking quartet left opponents unsure which hole to plug first.
Attacks coming from all directions.
France's strength lies in its versatility. If it were just Mbappe, opponents could simply press to neutralize him, closing down the space behind the defense and sacrificing some control of the game. But the current French team doesn't operate in such a simple way.
Dembele has speed and the ability to create breakthroughs. Barcola brings directness. Olise plays as a creative brain on the right flank, creating chances, setting the tempo, and unlocking defenses with his imaginative passes. Mbappe is the finishing touch, but not the only dangerous player.
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Michael Olise provided two assists, continuing to demonstrate his crucial creative role in the French attack. |
That's what made France so difficult to stop. Sweden used a five-man defense, sometimes dropping deep to six or seven, but were still torn apart. When a team defends with a large number of players but still allows the opponent to constantly find space, the problem is no longer about numbers. It's about the difference in class.
Olise is the epitome of France's new strength. He's not as flashy as Mbappe, but his influence on the game is immense. Barcola calls Olise a "genius," someone who can defend, pass, create chances, and score goals. Against Sweden, Olise's scissor kick hit the post. If it had gone in, it could have been one of the most beautiful goals of the tournament.
Mbappe was just a post away from scoring another hat-trick at the World Cup. But even without achieving perfection, he still scored a brace, bringing his tally in the tournament to 6 goals in 4 matches. Including his World Cup career, Mbappe has scored 18 goals in 18 matches, just one goal short of Lionel Messi's record. He also became the top scorer in the history of the World Cup knockout rounds, with 9 goals. Remember, he is 11 years younger than Messi.
To defeat France, you have to play better than them.
No team is perfect, and France is no exception. The two full-backs could be a weak point. Jules Kounde isn't the type of right-back who can be explosive in attack. Lucas Digne is consistent, but doesn't inspire much. The midfield, with Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot, is strong physically, defensively, and in terms of range, but lacks creativity.
The problem is that very few teams dare to attack those points directly. To press France, opponents have to push their formation high up the pitch. But doing so means leaving space behind for Mbappe, Dembele, or Barcola to exploit. Not many defenses want to turn the game into a speed race against the French attack.
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France have won all four of their World Cup matches, scoring 14 goals and conceding only two. |
Even with their midfield shut down, France still have options. Olise can drop deep to act as a playmaker. On the bench, Deschamps has passers like Manu Kone and Warren Zaire-Emery. This quality of squad means France is not only strong in their starting eleven, but also dangerous in terms of depth.
Perhaps France's biggest weakness is themselves. When the attack has too much freedom and talent, the risk of falling into showmanship, complacency, or overconfidence always exists. But this generation is showing a different kind of focus. They don't just want to win individual matches. They are aiming for a third consecutive World Cup final and a third world title after 1998 and 2018.
Sweden's coach Graham Potter admitted after the match that he hadn't seen a better team than France, considering both the quality on the field and the selection from the bench. That wasn't just polite talk. It was the general feeling after the performance in New Jersey.
France beat Sweden 3-0, but that scoreline doesn't fully reflect their dominance. They have Mbappe, a player who could rewrite World Cup history. But what worries the rest is that France is no longer entirely dependent on him. When a team possesses the biggest star in the tournament, and has so many ways to beat their opponents, they are not just strong. They are much more than that.
Source: https://znews.vn/mbappe-phi-thuong-nhung-tuyen-phap-con-dang-so-hon-post1664997.html
