- 1 France vs Sweden: Les Bleus open their knockout run at the New York New Jersey Stadium
- 2 France want to bring the power as Deschamps nears the end
- 3 Sweden pin their hopes on their attacking weapons to spring a shock
- 4 Probable lineups:
- 5 2026 World Cup prediction: France vs Sweden
- 6 First, a quick word on our predictions
- 7 No commitment from us
- 8 Information that changes
- 9 Your role
- 10 Responsible gambling first
- 11 Legal age
- 12 About the visuals
France vs Sweden: Les Bleus open their knockout run at the New York New Jersey Stadium 
France begin the knockout stage on Tuesday with a mouthwatering last-16 tie against Sweden in the grand setting of the New York New Jersey Stadium. Top of their group with a perfect record, Les Bleus arrive with all the swagger of genuine title favourites. Across the pitch, Sweden turn up as the awkward underdogs, determined to punch above their weight after sneaking through as one of the best third-placed teams in the tournament.
Didier Deschamps’ side swept through Group I, beating Senegal, Iraq and then Norway (4-1) to post an eye-catching record of 10 goals scored and only two conceded. The Scandinavians, now led by Graham Potter, had a bumpier ride in Group E, beating Tunisia, losing heavily to the Netherlands (5-1) and drawing a crucial game with Japan (1-1). Against France’s attacking firepower, Blagult will need a serious upgrade just to stay in the contest.
France want to bring the power as Deschamps nears the end 
Sitting second in the world rankings and used to the biggest stages after reaching the final in 2018 and 2022, France head into the knockout bracket with serious ambition, especially with Deschamps already announcing he will leave after the tournament. For this first sudden-death test, the French camp is hoping William Saliba can return after being rested against Norway because of a back issue. If he clears fitness checks, the Arsenal defender should line up alongside Dayot Upamecano to tighten things up at the back.
The midfield will, as expected, be anchored by the trusted double pivot of Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot. Ahead of them, the attacking setup is a terrifying sight: captain Kylian Mbappe, chasing a fifth goal at this World Cup, will be backed by the electric Ousmane Dembele, who netted a hat-trick last Friday, plus the gifted Michael Olise and Desire Doue. Supporters may still complain about a spell of passivity without the ball, but France’s firepower looks capable of ripping through almost any defence.
Sweden pin their hopes on their attacking weapons to spring a shock 
For Sweden, who missed three of the last four World Cup editions, reaching this stage is already a decent achievement, but appetites tend to grow once the tournament heats up. Potter does have a headache in central defence, though, after Isak Hien picked up an injury that should force captain Victor Lindelof to drop deeper. That tactical tweak would push Tottenham youngster Lucas Bergvall into midfield alongside Yasin Ayari.
Despite obvious defensive holes, with seven goals conceded in three games, Sweden still have enough going forward to trouble France. Anthony Elanga’s raw pace, after his sharp finish against Japan, combined with the power of the striking duo Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres, gives them a genuine threat on the break. History has also taught them not to fear Les Bleus too much, with three of their last four defeats against France coming by a single goal. Sweden believe their plan can still make this ugly.
Probable lineups:
France: Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Hernandez; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Olise, Dembele, Doue; Mbappe
Sweden: Zetterstrom; Lagerbielke, Lindelof, Gudmundsson; Bernhardsson, Bergvall, Ayari, Stroud; Elanga, Gyokeres, Isak
on MathODDS
2026 World Cup prediction: France vs Sweden
Sweden to score
France are the clear favourites here, given their form and the depth in their squad, but this knockout tie could be a lot tighter than the name value suggests. Les Bleus have shown the odd lapse in concentration, and at times a worrying lack of intensity out of possession. They also conceded at least once in their last group matches. In a one-off game, one bad step can cost you everything.
Sweden, though, have real attacking threat and are still being underrated. With lightning transition players like Anthony Elanga and elite finishers in Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres, they have enough to hurt France on the counter or punish any space left behind the back line. They scored seven times in the group stage and have nothing to lose. Sweden getting on the scoresheet feels very much on the table.
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