Undefeated Group I champions France battle against Group F’s third place team Sweden in the round of 32 this week.
The upcoming fixture will be the 24th time the teams have met, with the most recent match-up being in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, a tournament which France ultimately went on to win. Each team won 2-1 in their home leg of the qualification round, setting a dubious playing field for those who believe France should win comfortably.
France were unbeaten in the group stage of the tournament, scoring an immense 10 goals and conceding just two in their first three matches. They beat Senegal 3-1, Iraq 3-0, and took an exciting 4-1 victory from Norway to secure their title as group champions. French captain Kylian Mbappé has already scored four goals this tournament, meaning that a hat-trick in the upcoming match would see him claim the title of all-time World Cup record goalscorer.
Sweden qualified for the round of 32 through one of the coveted third place qualification spots, in spite of their win-loss-draw record in Group F. They began their World Cup campaign well with a 5-1 victory over Tunisia, before a 5-1 defeat to group champions the Netherlands and a 1-1 draw against Japan. Japan were the first team to be eliminated from the round of 32 in a 2-1 defeat to Brazil on Monday evening.
Team News
France
French manager Didier Deschamps returns to the competition after missing his team’s victory against group winners Norway when he returned to France to be present at his mother’s funeral.
Centre-forward Marcus Thuram is expected to be absent for the first knockout game of France’s campaign after suffering from a calf injury; he was not seen at training on Sunday.
Sweden
Sweden has no reported injuries or suspensions.
Likely Line-Ups
France: Mike Maignan; Jules Koundé, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, Lucas Digne; Adrien Rabiot, Manu Koné; Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Désiré Doué; Kylian Mbappé.
Sweden: Jacob Zetterström; Gustaf Lagerbielke, Victor Lindelöf, Gabriel Gudmundsson; Alexander Bernhardsson, Lucas Bergvall, Yasin Ayari, Elliot Stroud; Anthony Elanga, Viktor Gyökeres, Alexander Isak.
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Tactical Analysis
France are the tournament favourites going into the knockout stages, a claim which is supported by their outstanding group stage record; the team’s formidable defensive tactics have led to them only conceding two goals in the first three games.
Global star Kylian Mbappé continues to lead his national team, with his four goals being crucial to their progression so far. France relies on his clinical finishing to propel them through this match up. As well as this, recent Premier League winner William Saliba provides France with a fundamental foundation of defensive solidity.
Although France are predicted to win this round of 32 match-up, Sweden are still expected to put up a fight with a chance of knocking the former champions out of the tournament. Arsenal’s Viktor Gyökeres has 20 international goals to his name, and his incredible physicality signals that he will be able to increase this number before the tournament’s end. Gyökeres’ close friend and teammate Alexander Isak currently has three assists to his name in this competition, second only to his former Newcastle United teammate Bruno Guimarães.
Match Information
When is the match?
The match will kick off at 22:00 BST on Tuesday 30th June 2026.
How can I watch?
The match will be streaming in the UK for free on ITV1 and ITVX. You can also access full, comprehensive coverage before, during, and after the match at VAVEL.com.
Where is the match?
America will be the host nation for France v Sweden, with the match taking place at the New York / New Jersey Stadium.
