Les Bleus' Reign Faces the Nordic Storm at MetLife Stadium
Line-ups 🇫🇷 FRA 4-2-3-1 🇸🇪 SWE 4-4-2
Coach: Didier Deschamps
Starting XI
- 16 Mike Maignan G
- 5 Jules Koundé D
- 4 Dayot Upamecano D
- 17 William Saliba D
- 3 Lucas Digne D
- 8 Aurélien Tchouaméni M
- 14 Adrien Rabiot M
- 7 Ousmane Dembélé M
- 11 Michael Olise M
- 12 Bradley Barcola M
- 10 Kylian Mbappé F
Substitutes
- 23 Robin Risser G
- 1 Brice Samba G
- 2 Malo Gusto D
- 21 Lucas Hernandez D
- 26 Maxence Lacroix D
- 15 Ibrahima Konaté D
- 19 Théo Hernandez D
- 6 Manu Koné M
- 24 Rayan Cherki M
- 25 Maghnes Akliouche M
- 18 Warren Zaïre-Emery M
- 13 N'Golo Kanté M
- 22 Jean-Philippe Mateta F
- 20 Désiré Doué F
- 9 Marcus Thuram F
Coach: Graham Potter
Starting XI
- 1 Jacob Widell Zetterström G
- 8 Daniel Svensson D
- 2 Gustaf Lagerbielke D
- 3 Victor Lindelöf D
- 5 Gabriel Gudmundsson D
- 11 Anthony Elanga M
- 7 Lucas Bergvall M
- 18 Yasin Ayari M
- 24 Elliot Stroud M
- 17 Viktor Gyökeres F
- 9 Alexander Isak F
Substitutes
- 22 Besfort Zeneli M
- 26 Taha Ali M
- 23 Kristoffer Nordfeldt G
- 12 Viktor Johansson G
- 14 Hjalmar Ekdal D
- 20 Eric Smith D
- 15 Carl Starfelt D
- 6 Herman Johansson M
- 13 Ken Sema M
- 16 Jesper Karlström M
- 19 Mattias Svanberg M
- 10 Benjamin Nygren F
- 25 Gustaf Nilsson F
- 21 Alexander Bernhardsson F
France arrives at MetLife Stadium in clinical form, having swept their group with a perfect record. Under Didier Deschamps, Les Bleus have perfected a ruthless transition game, anchored by Kylian Mbappé, whose blistering return of four goals and two assists in three matches signals a player at the absolute peak of his powers. With the expansive turf of East Rutherford providing the perfect canvas for his pace, Mbappé is poised to test a Swedish defense that has struggled with consistency throughout this tournament.
Across the dugout, Graham Potter has instilled a tactical flexibility in Sweden, banking on the creative spark of Alexander Isak, who has contributed to three goals in the group stage. While Sweden’s form has been uneven, their recent 5-1 dismantling of Tunisia proves their offensive potential when clicking. As the knockout stakes rise, this match pits Deschamps’ pragmatic tournament mastery against Potter’s adventurous tactical adjustments, promising a high-octane battle for a place in the Round of 16.
Head to head
France and Sweden are long-standing European rivals with a dense history of competitive encounters, most notably in UEFA competitions. While Sweden famously ousted France in the group stages of Euro 2012, France has generally dominated the head-to-head ledger in recent years, including key victories during their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign. France enters this fixture with the pedigree of a side that has reached the last two World Cup finals, while Sweden remains a stubborn Nordic force aiming to recapture their iconic 1994 semifinal magic.
Players to watch
With four goals and two assists in three games, he remains the most dangerous attacking threat in the tournament.
His ability to provide both goals and creative assists makes him the primary engine of the Swedish attack.
As the top scorer in the current squad with 20 goals, his physical presence will be essential to break down the French backline.
Fun facts
- MetLife Stadium is the largest venue by capacity in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, capable of holding over 82,000 spectators.
- France is looking to become one of the few nations in history to reach three consecutive World Cup finals.
- Sweden finished as runners-up in the 1958 World Cup, which remains their best finish in the tournament's history.
- Didier Deschamps has been at the helm of the French national team since 2012, making him one of the longest-serving coaches in international football.
- The Swedish nickname Blågult refers to the iconic blue and yellow colors of the national flag.