France await Sweden in the World Cup round of 32

France await Sweden in the round of 32

Your team faces France in the World Cup round of 32 on Wednesday, July 1, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey (1) (4) (5). It is the biggest match of the tournament for Sweden, and it comes against a French side that scored 10 goals in the group stage, joint-top with Germany and the Netherlands (7). Both Germany and the Netherlands are already out, knocked out on penalties. France are still standing.

Mbappé, Dembélé, Barcola, Doué, Olise, Cherki, the attacking options Didier Deschamps has at his disposal are staggering (5) (6) (7). Sweden will need something close to a perfect performance.

The group stage collapse still stings

There is no dressing up the Netherlands result. A 5–1 loss in Houston laid bare a defence that has been deteriorating match by match. Graham Potter now has one training session and a team meeting to find answers.

The Japanese press flagged Viktor Gyökeres as a potential threat, noting his sharpness in training. Alexander Isak, Yasin Ayari, Mattias Svanberg, and Anthony Elanga are also expected to feature (1) (5). Sweden are technically still in this tournament. A wounded team with a reset button and nothing to lose.

Stroud's moment: from Mjällby to Mbappé

Elliot Stroud is about to line up against Ousmane Dembélé and Kylian Mbappé (2). The Mjällby left wing-back has been one of Sweden's stories of the tournament.

Mjällby club director Jacob Lennartsson did not hold back: "He should have been one of the first players picked" (1) (3). Stroud went from being overlooked before the squad announcement to a starting role on the biggest stage.

France sweating the penalties

Deschamps had his squad drilling penalties at the end of Monday's session, with video analysis on each potential Swedish taker (6). France know knockout football can turn on a single kick. Germany and the Netherlands found out the hard way (7).

Fan reactions

Swedish supporters are facing this with gallows humour. One fan summed up the mood by calling the national team "a hot dog stand" (2). The image stuck, and it captures where the fanbase is: hopeful but braced, aware that France are a different weight class entirely. The Reddit crowd has noticed the pattern too, two of the three highest-scoring group stage teams are already out, leaving France as the last one standing ahead of tonight's match (r/soccer).