What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? Well, the French men’s national team wouldn’t know, because it has yet to meet an immovable object in this World Cup.
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In the first decisive victory of this tournament’s knockout stage, France dominated Sweden on Tuesday in a 3-0 win that guaranteed the French another match this week. This tournament has put France back on top of the FIFA men’s world rankings, just ahead of Argentina, which it lost to in the final four years ago.
But France’s defeat of Sweden, a team praised for its strong defense, raises the question: Can anyone defeat Les Bleus at this World Cup?
“Well, of course it’s football — anything is possible,” Swedish coach Graham Potter told reporters after the match. “But I personally haven’t seen a better team, because [of] the quality they have all over the pitch. And then the options for them off the bench are very, very strong.”
Kylian Mbappé, 27, scored two of Tuesday’s goals at the helm of an attack that might be the most intimidating offense in the World Cup thus far. He is joined up front by Ousmane Dembélé, who scored a hat trick against Norway and is the reigning winner of the Ballon d’Or as the best player in the world; Michael Olise, who leads the tournament in assists; and Bradley Barcola, who converts shots on goal 40% of the time.
They were relentless in New Jersey, creating a comfortable home outside Sweden’s goal as they hit shot after shot that kept goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström busy. The first half was also riddled with failed efforts — hits on the post, an offside attempt, wide shots — until Mbappé’s goal in the 45th minute sent France back to the locker room with upward momentum.
Potter credited his team for creating strong moments in transition early on, but being forced to defend as much as his players did made it difficult to create an attacking game of their own.
Swedish forward Viktor Gyökeres echoed his coach’s view about defending the majority of the game, saying, “It’s difficult to keep it like that for 90 minutes.”
“They’re not static,” Gyökeres told reporters of the French team. “They know each other well in how they move and connection between each other. So of course when they have that quality and that movement, it’s going to be tough.”
Didier Deschamps, France’s head coach, demurred during the postmatch news conference when he was asked whether he was aware that he was the head of a “war machine.” He acknowledged the team’s “capacity to generate opportunities” but said he plans to make adjustments as the team heads into the next phase of the tournament.
Deschamps, who coached France to the 2018 World Cup title and captained it to victory as a player in the 1998 World Cup, noted that the team began Tuesday’s match timid in the first 15 minutes and argued that it could have been more efficient in the first half overall. He didn’t give away any strategies but said it would be looking to make small adjustments in the coming days. For Deschamps, the team can “always improve.”
France will play Paraguay in the round of 16 on Saturday, facing the team that eliminated Germany in a shocking upset during a penalty shootout Monday. Deschamps credited Paraguay for playing “full-on” against Germany and said he would give his players some rest before they prepare to take on the South American team.
“I hope it’s going to be less tough,” Deschamps said. “But I know in Paraguay there are a lot of players, they’re very aggressive. It’s part of their DNA. They know how to defend.”
France’s side of the bracket includes some tough potential opponents. If it defeats Paraguay, it could face a quarterfinal against Canada or Morocco, two teams that have had strong runs in the tournament.
But if the French team does manage to make it all the way, it would be its third consecutive World Cup final since it won in 2018 in Russia. Its defeat against Argentina in Qatar, a loss that came down to a penalty shootout, was a devastating defeat after a brilliant 80th-minute rally from Mbappé to overcome a two-goal deficit and equalize the game in one of the most thrilling World Cup finals in recent memory.
Deschamps said his team is enjoying this moment but is aware it still has made it only to the round of 16 for now.
“We have to stay confident,” he said. “And in four days we know what we’re expecting, and we’re going to have an opponent facing us with different qualities. Our team, France, has excellent players, and when they have this state of mind and this type of concentration, it’s very well.”
