FIFA World Cup 2026, Round Of 32: France vs Sweden Predicted Lineups, Team News, Prediction And More

Published 30 June 2026 · sports

FIFA World Cup 2026, Round Of 32: France vs Sweden Predicted Lineups, Team News, Prediction And More Published By, Last Updated: June 30, 2026, 13:37

FIFA World Cup 2026, Round Of 32: France vs Sweden Predicted Lineups, Team News, Prediction And More Published By, Last Updated: June 30, 2026, 13:37 IST France begin their World Cup knockout campaign against Sweden, with Kylian Mbappe and Les Bleus aiming to continue their perfect start and book a Round of 16 berth. Rapid Read (Credit: AP) France kick off their FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout campaign on Tuesday as Didier Deschamps’ side take on Sweden in the Round of 32 at the New York New Jersey Stadium. Les Bleus have looked every bit like title contenders so far, cruising through Group I with a perfect record of three wins from three matches. Sweden, meanwhile, took a far less convincing route to the knockout stage, sneaking through as one of the tournament’s eight best third-placed teams after collecting four points from their group.

With Deschamps already confirming that he will step down after the World Cup, France know every match could be another step towards giving their long-serving manager the perfect farewell. Sweden, coached by Graham Potter, have already exceeded expectations simply by reaching the knockout rounds. However, after conceding seven goals in three group-stage matches—including a heavy 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands—they face arguably their toughest test yet against one of the tournament favourites. Team News And Predicted Lineups France Predicted XI (4-2-3-1) Maignan; Koundé, Upamecano, Saliba, Hernandez; Tchouaméni, Rabiot; Olise, Dembélé, Doué; Mbappé. Sweden Predicted XI (3-4-3) Zetterström; Lagerbielke, Lindelöf, Gudmundsson; Bernhardsson, Bergvall, Ayari, Stroud; Elanga, Gyökeres, Isak. France have combined defensive solidity with attacking brilliance throughout the tournament, averaging more than three goals per game while boasting one of the competition’s deepest squads. With Kylian Mbappé leading the line and creative support from Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise and Désiré Doué, Les Bleus possess enough firepower to trouble any defence.

Sweden do have attacking quality of their own through Viktor Gyökeres, Alexander Isak and Anthony Elanga, but defensive frailties have repeatedly been exposed. While Graham Potter’s men showed resilience to reach the Round of 32, they were fortunate not to concede more against Japan and now come up against a far more clinical opponent. Neither side is expected to make significant changes, with both managers likely to stick with the core of the teams that secured qualification from the group stage. Match Prediction Knockout football often produces surprises, but France’s form, experience and superior quality make them overwhelming favourites to progress. Sweden should create a few problems on the counterattack, yet Les Bleus are expected to control proceedings and eventually pull away. Prediction: France 3-1 Sweden News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Siddarth Sriram After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas.