Kylian Mbappé had a goal disallowed for offside in the 20th minute as France and Sweden began their World Cup round-of-32 tie in New Jersey with a cautious, probing opening. The Real Madrid forward, who had already scored four times in the group stage, latched onto a through ball from Michael Olise and finished calmly past Jacob Widell Zetterström, only for the flag to go up. Replays showed Mbappé was marginally ahead of the last defender, and the match remained goalless after a quarter of an hour in which both sides traded early threats.

Sweden, deploying a 3-4-2-1 shape under Graham Potter, registered the first attempt within two minutes when Alexander Isak’s low drive from the edge of the area was comfortably held by Mike Maignan. France gradually asserted control, with Lucas Digne forcing Zetterström into a routine save from distance and Bradley Barcola blazing over after a driving run into the box. The disallowed goal was the clearest opening of a first half played at a high tempo but lacking clear-cut chances, as the Swedish back three of Victor Lindelöf, Gabriel Gudmundsson and Gustaf Lagerbielke held a compact line.

France entered the knockout phase as one of the tournament’s most impressive group-stage performers, winning all three matches in Group I while scoring ten goals and conceding only two. Victories over Senegal, Iraq and Norway showcased the depth of Didier Deschamps’ attacking options, with Ousmane Dembélé also netting four times. Sweden, by contrast, advanced as one of the best third-placed teams from Group F, having thrashed Tunisia 5-1, lost heavily to the Netherlands by the same scoreline, and drawn 1-1 with Japan. The Scandinavian side’s defensive vulnerabilities were exposed by the Dutch, but their own forward line, led by Isak and Viktor Gyökeres, carried a persistent threat on the counter.

Deschamps, who will step down after the tournament, fielded a full-strength side featuring Aurélien Tchouaméni and Adrien Rabiot in midfield, with Dembélé and Barcola flanking Mbappé. The match was officiated by Dutch referee Danny Makkelie, and the winner will face Paraguay in the last 16 after the South Americans eliminated Germany on penalties. For Sweden, the encounter represented a first-ever World Cup meeting with France, and the early exchanges suggested a disciplined performance designed to frustrate the favourites and exploit transitions through the pace of Anthony Elanga and Isak.