France made light work of Sweden in New York on Wednesday by sweeping past them 3-0 in their Round of 32 fixture. The two-time champions will now take on Paraguay on July 5 in Philadelphia with a spot in the quarterfinals at stake.
Kylian Mbappe was once again the wrecker-in-chief for Les Bleus. The number 10 racked up a brace to equal Lionel Messi at the top of the 2026 FIFA World Cup goalscoring charts with six strikes. The two goals also took Mbappe within one of the Argentine’s all-time scoring record in World Cups.
The first goal came at the brink of half-time and was inarguably the pick of the lot. Surrounded by defenders on the left wing, Mbappe skipped past a couple of defenders with some fancy stepovers inside the box, before curling the ball into the far corner to leave the goalkeeper stranded. Yet, it was his actions after the goal that truly won the heart of fans all over.
The marksman immediately ran to embrace manager Didier Deschamps on the sidelines.
The French coach recently met with persona tragedy when his mother passed away at the age of 86. Deschamps had missed France’s last group stage game to attend her funeral, but returned in time to take charge for the knockout stages.
As Peter Drury remarked on air, Mbappe’s gesture was a poignant indicator of the immense respect he has for the former World Cup winning captain. It is under Deschamps that Mbappe has grown from a prodigy to a world beater, the two lifting the trophy together in 2018 and reaching the final in the following edition in Qatar.
“I think the whole team, the entire team, was there with him. I think that’s important. There are things in the world that are more important than football. But as I’ve said, it’s the DNA of this group to be all together,” Mbappe said after the game.
“It really struck me. He’s our captain. He’s been exemplary since Day 1. The group was united, and they did what they had to do when I was away… Now that I’m back, they know I’m here 100%. The team spirit of this group doesn’t make you win matches, but if it goes the other way around, you can lose matches. The collective strength is above everything, but Kylian as a captain is a shining example,” Deschamps echoed the sentiments.
The second Mbappe goal arrived in the 74th minute courtesy of a sublime Michael Olise through pass. Mbappe made no mistakes in clinically finishing off the one-on-one chance, effectively sealing the result. The strike extended Mbappe’s tally in World Cup knockout games to 10, having already secured the all-time record for himself with the goal in the first half.
Consequently, Deschamps took his skipper off in the 85th minute with eyes on the next stage already. And the 57-year-old fittingly used the occasion to offer his gratitude to Mbappe.
As Mbappe walked off the field, Deschamps gracefully bowed with his outstretched hands hailing the Real Madrid striker.
The 27-year-old could not help but grin widely in appreciation as the two shared another warm embrace.
The relationship between Deschamps and Mbappe has continued to blossom with each tournament they feature in together. The duo would be hoping the mutual respct carries them to yet another World Cup title, thereby sealing their legacy as the two leading Frenchmen in the modern era.
