EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - There's a reason that there's an audible gasp each time that Kylian Mbappe touches the ball, as with a second, he can take your soul. Sweden's Viktor Gyokeres found that out the hard way at the end of the first half as Mbappe was able to dribble past his defender en route to opening the scoring in a 3-0 France victory. He'd add another along the way as he became the player with the second most goals in World Cup history behind only Lionel Messi with his 18th goal in the tournament.
It's strange watching such a free-flowing French team, as Didier Deschamps has been someone who has used players like Blaise Matuidi as wingers, centered teams around defensive soccer, and done everything possible to get his best 11 players on the field while playing defensively solid, but the difference in this France team to 2022 is that four of their best players are attackers who need to be on the pitch in Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, Michael Olise and Mbappe, with all but Barcola considered among the top five to 10 players in the world.
PURE BRILLIANCE FROM MBAPPÉ 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3nF3pB4AnF
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That opening goal was a significant one as well after Deschamps missed France's closing match in the group stage due to the death of his mother, so that he could go back home, but then returned ahead of the knockout stages. After scoring, Mbappe immediately ran to the sidelines to hug his coach, and the team followed. He's been taking control as the captain during this tournament, and this is the latest example of that with the national team.
Mbappé goes straight to his manager Didier Deschamps after scoring 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/6nLEqL5Tqo
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 30, 2026
"Yes, I think it was important. I think Kylian did it to support the coach, too," Malo Gusto said about the moment following the match. "It was a difficult time for him, so it was up to us to return the favor, and I think we did that very well tonight."
Mbappe added more on the moment and how important it is that the team is together.
"Not only me. I think the whole team, the whole team was there with him," Mbappe said. "I think it's important; there are things that are more important than a World Cup, more important than football. But as I said, it's the DNA of this group, to be all together, to really be united. We are all behind the coach, no matter what happens, no matter what will happen, we are all behind him, and we wanted to make him feel that he wasn't completely alone."
Those moments of rallying go a long way in a tournament as grueling as this one. The team has been away for a month at this stage, and care for each other goes a long way during these times.
On the pitch, the best Swedish defender was the post, which stopped France from scoring twice in the game, as even taking shots from outside the box for fun, no one could stop France once they got in their flow. But marching into the round of 16, this feels like a strength and a weakness for Les Bleus.
France have been one of, if not the best attacking side at this World Cup, that's true. But due to that attack, they also haven't been tested much defensively, only allowing nine shots on goal in this tournament. Set to face Paraguay in the round of 16 in Philadelphia on the fourth of July, it's yet another game where France will be the overwhelming favorite and not face a team that can match them in possession.
You can only face who is put in front of you, and France have passed each test so far, but there's always time to ponder what could come next. Mbappe acknowledges the pressure that they're facing, but having now been to three World Cups with France, Mbappe and the team know what this is about, and they're able to ensure that the team is ready for the task.
"I think it's an apprehension that is just different," Mbappe said about the knockout stages. "Now, there is a lot of pressure, even in the group stage matches. Then again, in a 48-team competition like this, there's a little less, because we see that with 2 defeats, you can still advance. So it's true that the group stages were a little more relaxed in terms of pressure. There is a little more pressure now, but it's up to us, the players who have played in several World Cups, who have known this kind of atmosphere in the past, to guide the younger ones."
That balance and leadership will take the French national team far, especially since they'd still be favored against Canada or Morocco in the semifinals, but confidence and leadership will be needed should they come up against a side like Spain. Looking to make a third consecutive World Cup final, the pressure is on, and they're ready to rise to it.
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