2026 World Cup Round of 32: France vs Sweden Preview, Odds and Predictions (June 30)
- When: Tuesday, June 30, 2026. 5:00 PM ET
- Where: MetLife Stadium, New York, New Jersey, United States
- How to Watch: FOX
The 2026 World Cup starts the knockout stage with the Round of 32 being active as one matchup takes place in New Jersey with France clashing with Sweden. Both squads are fighting for a place in the Round of 16, meaning there will be plenty of pressure on both nations in this elimination game.
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France Stats & Team News
France was on cruise control throughout the group stage, topping Group I in convincing fashion. They torched Senegal 3-1, Iraq 3-0 and Norway 4-1 to make their way to the knockout stage with ease.
Kylian Mbappe was the star of the show in the first two matches, scoring four goals as he outmatched defenders. In the group finale, Ousmane Dembele put together an incredible hat trick of three goals against Norway as he has four goals and counting. Also keep track of Michael Olise and Desire Doue’s presence in the attack as they go through key parts of the upcoming match.
Likely Lineup:
(4-2-3-1) Maignan (GK); Koundé, Upamecano, Saliba, Hernández; Tchouaméni, Rabiot; Dembélé, Olise, Doué; Mbappé
Sweden Stats & Team News
Despite suffering an embarrassing 5-1 loss to the Netherlands, Sweden did just enough to advance to the knockout stage. They beat down Tunisia 5-1 and drew 1-1 with Japan to advance to the next round as one of the eight best third place teams.
Anthony Elanga stands out from the attack with two goals as Alexander Isak looks to play a pivotal role in the attack as the star striker. Sweden’s defense will also need to play at its best to hold off the explosive French attack.
Likely Lineup:
(3-4-3) Zetterstrom (GK) Lagerbielke, Lindelöf, Gudmundsson; Bernhardsson, Ayari, Karlström, Stroud; Elanga, Gyökeres, Isak
Head-to-Head Stats
- This is the seventh all-time meeting between France and Sweden.
- France leads with four wins and two losses in the all-time series against Sweden.
- This marks the second competitive meeting between the nations, first since the 2020 Nations League.
France vs. Sweden World Cup Picks
France stands out as the massive favorite, and for good reason. They shined as one of the top favorites to win the tournament, showing many reasons as Kylian Mbappe is lighting up games with quality goals. However, Sweden could make it an interesting game if they can expose France on the counter. It would be safe to believe that France will come out of the match with a 4-1 win.
