Mbappe Sets New World Cup Knockout Record as France Beat Sweden
Kylian Mbappe etched his name further into football history after becoming the all-time leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup knockout matches, scoring twice as France defeated Sweden 3-0 to book their place in the last 16 against Paraguay.
The France captain took his tally of goals in World Cup knockout matches to 10, surpassing every player in the competition’s history. His brace also moved him level with Argentina captain Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot standings, with both players now on six goals at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Despite the scorching conditions in New Jersey, France dominated proceedings from the opening whistle and looked determined to put the game beyond Sweden early on.
Mbappe thought he had opened the scoring in the 20th minute, only for the offside flag to deny him. The striker then struck the post moments later after being picked out by Jules Kounde’s low cross with the goal at his mercy.
France continued to press, with Michael Olise rattling the woodwork with a spectacular scissor-kick effort before Ousmane Dembele fired the rebound wide.
Sweden goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom produced a series of excellent saves to frustrate the French attack, but he could do little to stop Mbappe from making history just before half-time.
The forward raced onto a perfectly weighted pass from Dembele, beat Viktor Gyokeres with a clever stepover, and calmly slotted the ball into the far corner to become the outright leading scorer in World Cup knockout history.
Sweden had an immediate chance to respond after the restart, but Elliot Stroud fired over from close range when presented with a golden opportunity.
France took full control eight minutes into the second half when Bradley Barcola latched onto an intelligent pass from Olise and drilled his effort into the near post to double the advantage.
Mbappe then put the result beyond doubt in the 74th minute. Once again, Olise provided the assist, finding the French captain in space before he curled a composed finish past Widell Zetterstrom for his second goal of the match and sixth of the tournament.
The victory sends France into the last 16, where they will face Paraguay, who stunned Germany on penalties, in Philadelphia on Saturday, 4 July.
For Mbappe, however, the night belonged to history. Already one of the greatest players of his generation, the French superstar has now become the most prolific player ever in World Cup knockout football.
