France vs. Sweden preview for World Cup Round of 32 match at MetLife

With the World Cup group stage over, the first knockout round match at MetLife Stadium is set to kick off Tuesday, June 30 between France and Sweden.

France finished first in its group after going 3-0 with wins over Senegal, Iraq and a formidable Norway squad. Star striker Kylian Mbappé turned in two braces, while 2025 Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé turned in a hat trick versus Norway.

Sweden, meanwhile, advanced to the knockout rounds as one of the eight best third-place teams. It demolished Tunisia, 5-1, in its opening match and squeaked into the next stage after a draw against Japan last week.

Here’s what to know about France and Sweden’s Round of 32 matchup Tuesday:
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Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
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• France is highly favored in this matchup. Didier Deschamps‘ squad outscored opponents, 10-2, in its three group stage games and looks to take the next step toward making its third straight World Cup Final.

• Sweden was shaky in group play, following its drubbing of Tunisia with a four-goal loss to the Netherlands. Against an even better squad in France, the first version of Sweden needs to be present if it wants to win.

• Swedish defender Isak Hien has been ruled out of the tournament with a hamstring injury. That’s a bad sign against a France attack that features Mbappé, Dembélé, Michael Olise and more, one of the best units in the field.

• The winner of this match will face the winner of Germany and Paraguay in the Round of 16.

France is highly favored in this matchup. Didier Deschamps‘ squad outscored opponents, 10-2, in its three group stage games and looks to take the next step toward making its third straight World Cup Final.

Sweden was shaky in group play, following its drubbing of Tunisia with a four-goal loss to the Netherlands. Against an even better squad in France, the first version of Sweden needs to be present if it wants to win.

Swedish defender Isak Hien has been ruled out of the tournament with a hamstring injury. That’s a bad sign against a France attack that features Mbappé, Dembélé, Michael Olise and more, one of the best units in the field.

The winner of this match will face the winner of Germany and Paraguay in the Round of 16.

• Kylian Mbappé, France: We’ve already talked about Mbappé enough, but he’ll once again be on the top of everyone’s minds in this game. At 27, he’s tied with Miroslav Klose for second on the all-time World Cup scoring leaderboard.

• Ousmane Dembélé, France: Dembélé scored his first-career World Cup goals versus Iraq and Norway after failing to net any in his first two tries. He’s now second in the Golden Boot race with four scores.

• Viktor Gyökeres, Sweden: With Arsenal this past season, Viktor Gyökeres tallied 14 goals to help his squad to a Premier League title. Now, he’s one of Sweden’s best strikers.

• Alexander Isak, Sweden: In his first season with Liverpool, Alexander Isak was sidelined with a broken leg and ankle. After months of rehab, Isak has returned to lead Sweden’s attack alongside Gyökeres.

Kylian Mbappé, France: We’ve already talked about Mbappé enough, but he’ll once again be on the top of everyone’s minds in this game. At 27, he’s tied with Miroslav Klose for second on the all-time World Cup scoring leaderboard.

Ousmane Dembélé, France: Dembélé scored his first-career World Cup goals versus Iraq and Norway after failing to net any in his first two tries. He’s now second in the Golden Boot race with four scores.

Viktor Gyökeres, Sweden: With Arsenal this past season, Viktor Gyökeres tallied 14 goals to help his squad to a Premier League title. Now, he’s one of Sweden’s best strikers.

Alexander Isak, Sweden: In his first season with Liverpool, Alexander Isak was sidelined with a broken leg and ankle. After months of rehab, Isak has returned to lead Sweden’s attack alongside Gyökeres.

Tuesday, June 30 (France vs. Sweden)