Mbappé equals Messi and France confirms its World Cup candidacy
France overcomes Sweden with a brace from the Real Madrid forward, and Norway and Mexico also advance to the round of 16
BarcelonaThe new round of the World Cup round of 32 has once again confirmed that France is one of the main candidates to lift the title. Didier Deschamps' team authoritatively defeated Sweden (3-0) and signed another demonstration of offensive potential, with Mbappé as the absolute reference of the squad, well supported by Olise and Barcola. The French imposed their rhythm from start to finish and did not suffer at any moment.
France 3 - 0 Sweden
Thus, France once again confirmed that they are one of the great favorites to lift the World Cup after convincingly beating Sweden (3-0). They dominated the match from start to finish and qualified for the round of 16 thanks to a brace from Kylian Mbappé and a goal from Bradley Barcola. The Real Madrid forward has now scored six goals in the tournament and equals Leo Messi at the top of the top scorers' standings, and Michael Olise was once again decisive with two assists.
The French struggled to open the scoring despite their initial dominance. Mbappé saw a goal disallowed for offside by VAR and Olise came close to the first with a shot against the post. But their persistence paid off just before halftime, in an action that ultimately broke the game open.
In the second half, the script did not change. Olise threaded a precise pass for Barcola to extend the lead, and in the 74th minute he assisted Mbappé again for him to seal the definitive 3-0. With this result, France advances to the round of 16, where they will face Paraguay, one of the revelations of the tournament after eliminating Germany on penalties.
Norway 2 - 1 Ivory Coast
Norway had to sweat to certify their ticket to the round of 16. The Nordic team achieved qualification after defeating Ivory Coast 2-1. Antonio Nusa put the Scandinavians ahead, Diallo equalized for the Africans, and Erling Haaland, the star of the Nordic team, appeared when his team needed him most to tip the scales.
Stale Solbakken's team knew how to resist the moments of greatest difficulty and ended up winning in a high-intensity duel. In fact, it is the first time that Norway has overcome a knockout tie in the final phase of a World Cup. Thus, they are now preparing for a major challenge against Brazil in the round of 16.
Mexico 2 - 0 Ecuador
Tuesday's match concluded in the early hours with Mexico's qualification, as they authoritatively defeated Ecuador at the iconic Azteca Stadium (2-0). The Mexican team resolved the match before halftime with goals from Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez, ending a forty-year drought without overcoming a World Cup knockout stage. El Tri, who have not conceded any goals in the tournament yet, will now face the winner of the match between England and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
