Big favorites before the start of this meeting, the Blues have fully assumed their status. For this round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, Didier Deschamps lined up a slightly reworked starting lineup compared to the one that beat Norway in the previous match.
Not surprisingly, the Sandinaves opted to play in a low block. During almost the entire first period, the French team was unable to find the net, despite a number of chances. Kylian Mbappé saw his shot hit the post (31st), just like Michael Olise, who came very close to scoring the best goal of the competition (35th).
As often, the deliverance came from the French captain. The Real Madrid striker stared at Viktor Gyökeres, crossed into the center of the area and beat Jacob Widell Zetterström with a nice curling shot (1-0, 45th). The Blues thus returned to the locker room with a deserved advantage on the scoreboard.
Mbappé clinic, Olise surgical
In the second half, Bradley Barcola quickly made the break. Preferred over his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Désiré Doué for this meeting, the 23-year-old winger, well found by Michael Olise, catapulted the ball into the Yellow and Blue goal (2-0, 52nd). Kylian Mbappé, still hungry for a goal, added to the score with a clear right-footed shot (3-0, 74th). His sixth achievement in this tournament, allowing him to return to the level of Lionel Messi at the top of the scorers’ ranking.
Thanks to this fourth consecutive victory since the start of the World Cup, the Blues will play in the round of 16 against Paraguay. A meeting which will take place on Saturday July 4, at 11 p.m. A poster which inevitably recalls that of the 1998 World Cup, at the same stage of the competition. On June 28 of that year, Laurent Blanc scored a golden goal for the legendary goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert.
