France will face Sweden in the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, June 30, at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, USA. The match kicks off at 5pm local time (21:00 GMT).

France enters the knockout stage with a perfect group record, winning all three matches for the first time since their 1998 World Cup triumph. Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé have been instrumental, scoring four goals each, while Michael Olise provided three assists.

Sweden advanced as one of the best third-placed teams after a mixed group stage. They thrashed Tunisia 5-1, but suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands and drew 1-1 with Japan. Anthony Elanga and Yasin Ayari scored two goals each for Sweden.

France coach Didier Deschamps warned: “Sweden have nothing to lose. They will do everything to win. We need to stay humble and maintain our concentration.” Sweden coach Graham Potter added: “We have to be as close to perfect as we can be. We respect the quality of the opponent.”

Opta’s supercomputer gives France a 75.1% chance of winning in regular time, with Sweden at just 9.5%. The winner will face Paraguay in the Round of 16. France are also favorites to win the tournament with a 22.85% probability.

Source: www.aljazeera.com