France Takes Lead Over Sweden Before Halftime in World Cup Round of 32

France and Sweden faced off at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey during the 2026 World Cup round of 32. The winner will advance to the round of 16 to play Paraguay, who earlier shocked the tournament by eliminating Germany. France dominated early, creating multiple scoring chances through players like Kylian Mbappe, Lucas Digne, Bradley Barcola, and Adrien Rabiot, but Sweden's goalkeeper, Vidal Zetterstrom, made several impressive saves.

Mbappe scored in the 20th minute, but the goal was disallowed for offside. France continued to press, with Rabiot and Mbappe hitting the post, and Michael Olise delivering a spectacular overhead kick that also struck the crossbar. Despite these near misses, France finally broke through just before halftime. In the 45th minute, following a quick corner, Ousmane Dembele assisted Mbappe, who cut inside, evaded his marker, and scored a precise shot to put France ahead 1-0 at the break.

France controlled most of the first half and came close to scoring earlier, setting the tone for the remainder of the match as they seek to advance further in the tournament.