The group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has concluded, and the matchups for the Round of 32 have been revealed and are now underway.
The European giants, France, will face Sweden in the Round of 32 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. France have looked unbeatable at times during this tournament and won all three of their group-stage matches en route to winning Group I. Their opponents, Sweden, had a tougher path to the knockout stage, advancing as the third-placed team from Group F.
France are one of the favorites to win the tournament, and after watching their performances in the group stage, it’s not hard to see why. France scored 10 goals while conceding just two. They have one of the best attacks in the tournament, with Désiré Doué, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé and Kylian Mbappé leading the way.
Mbappé and Dembélé, who are both in incredible form, each have four goals in the tournament and are tied for second place in the Golden Boot race. France aren’t showing any signs of slowing down, but they shouldn’t overlook Sweden, who have looked like two completely different teams at times.
Sweden opened their World Cup campaign with a dominant 5-1 victory over Tunisia. It was an outstanding all-around performance, highlighted by Yasin Ayari’s two goals, and showcased the potential Sweden have. However, in their next match, they found themselves on the opposite side of the scoreline, suffering a 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands. They finished the group stage with a 1-1 draw against Japan, which was enough to secure a place in the knockout stage.
Sweden will need to be at their very best to knock off a France team that is flowing with confidence. They will rely on Ayari, as well as wingers Anthony Elanga (two goals) and Aleksander Isak (three assists), to make the difference against a France side that have scored goals with ease.
The winner of this match will face Paraguay in the Round of 16 in Philadelphia after Paraguay upset Germany in the Round of 32.
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