Sweden's World Cup Journey Ends with Defeat to France

Sweden Bows Out of FIFA World Cup 2026

New York, July 1: The Swedish Football Association expressed heartfelt thanks to fans for their steadfast support following Sweden's exit from the FIFA World Cup 2026, marked by a 3-0 loss to France in the Round of 32.

In a message shared on X after the match, the Swedish FA acknowledged the encouragement received from supporters both in the stadiums and from home.

The official account stated, "We gave our all – but sadly, our World Cup summer concludes here. A huge thank you to the entire Swedish populace for the incredible backing, both on-site and from afar."

Vi gav allt – men här tar tyvärr vår VM-sommar slut.

Tack till hela svenska folket för ett otroligt stöd, såväl på plats som på hemmaplan #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/3FjrEfjzG1

— Svensk Fotboll (@svenskfotboll) June 30, 2026

France's victory was spearheaded by their captain Kylian Mbappe, who scored twice, leading to a decisive 3-0 win at the MetLife Stadium, thus securing France's advancement to the Round of 16.

While Sweden's spirited campaign comes to an end, France confidently moves forward to face Paraguay on July 4.

Didier Deschamps, who returned to coaching after a personal loss, witnessed his team effectively break down a resilient Swedish defense.

Mbappe, who entered the match tied with Brazilian legend Ronaldo and pre-war star Leonidas for the most career knockout stage goals at 8, increased his tally to 10 with goals in the 45th and 74th minutes, setting a new record.

His ability to perform under pressure has been a hallmark of his international career, and his updated statistics reflect a player in peak form. In the knockout stage, he has now netted 10 goals, surpassing both Ronaldo and Leonidas.

With his sixth goal of the tournament, Mbappe is now level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.

This brace also brought his World Cup total to 18 goals in just 18 matches, leaving him just one goal shy of Messi's all-time record of 19 goals, achieved over 29 World Cup appearances.