France displays terrifying attacking power: Mbappé's "ferocity" and the even more lethal trident

Written by Han Bing. By Han Bing. Under the scorching afternoon sun at MetLife Stadium, 80,000 enthusiastic supporters witnessed Mbappé's exceptional striking prowess once more. In France's World Cup opener here two weeks earlier, Mbappé bagged a double, and Barcola also scored at this stadium after a two-week interval. France comfortably beat Sweden 3-0, securing their spot in the last 16 without any doubt.

Mbappé continues to chase multiple goal records: He has equaled Messi with 6 goals in this World Cup, and his total World Cup goals (18) are just one fewer than Messi's, making the Golden Boot race increasingly fierce. Furthermore, Mbappé has surpassed Leônidas and Ronaldo (8 goals) to become the all-time top scorer in World Cup knockout stages (10 goals). He has also matched his personal season goal record (54 goals from the 2022/23 season). Given that France still has at least one match left, Mbappé has time to break more records.

This round-of-16 match was Deschamps' first game in charge after returning from his mother's funeral. France's final group stage match against Norway was temporarily managed by assistant coach Stéphane. Before the match, French players had stated that this victory would be dedicated to Deschamps, who was suffering a heavy psychological blow. Compared to two weeks ago at the same stadium, Deschamps made three changes to the starting lineup: Koné replaced Tchouaméni to partner Rabiot in defensive midfield, Digne took over from Lucas as left-back, and Barcola replaced Doué on the left wing. In addition, Olise continued to support the attack from the more effective attacking midfield position.

Sweden's defense enjoyed some luck in the first half. In the 19th minute, Barcola missed a clear chance, disappointing Deschamps on the bench. A minute later, Olise threaded a through ball to Mbappé, who scored, but it was ruled out for offside. In the 32nd and 36th minutes, Mbappé and Olise both hit the post, with Olise's overhead kick striking the woodwork being particularly unlucky. However, Sweden's compact defense and physical battles only lasted 45 minutes: Olise's shot won a corner, Dembélé took it, and Mbappé used a step-over to shake off the retreating Swedish striker Gyökeres, breaking the deadlock for France.

After scoring, Mbappé pointed to Deschamps on the bench. The entire French team sent their wishes to Deschamps, who embraced his beloved student. At that moment, the goal and the victory were the best comfort for Deschamps. Facing France's trident in top form, Sweden lacked sufficient courage after conceding. Eight minutes into the second half, Olise's through ball set up Barcola to double the lead. In the 74th minute, the New Jersey Stadium erupted for the third time: Olise provided his second assist, and Mbappé scored his second goal, giving France a 3-0 comprehensive victory over Sweden. When Mbappé was substituted in the 85th minute, Deschamps bowed at the sideline with both hands lowered, showing the harmonious atmosphere within the French team.

In this match, France's powerful attacking force was on full display. If not for the woodwork and Swedish goalkeeper Söderström's heroic saves to deny four dangerous shots from Rabiot, Olise, and Barcola, Sweden would have conceded far more than three goals. Nevertheless, France became the first team in World Cup history to score at least three goals in five consecutive matches, and they also set a team record for most consecutive matches with at least two goals (eight). The last time France won a World Cup knockout match by three goals was the 1998 final, when they beat Brazil 3-0.

Mbappé (6 goals, 2 assists), Olise (0 goals, 5 assists), and Dembélé (4 goals, 2 assists) formed France's strongest World Cup trident since Fontaine, Kopa, and Piantoni in 1958. In particular, the Mbappé-Olise combination marks the first time since 1974 that a World Cup team has simultaneously had a scorer with over six goals and another player with over five assists. The best previous goal-assist combination in World Cup history was also France in 1958: Fontaine with 13 goals and Kopa with 8 assists.

Apart from Mbappé, another weapon for France's World Cup title challenge is assist leader Olise. With 5 assists in 4 World Cup matches, Olise has equaled the assist totals of Pelé (1970) and Maradona (1986). He is only three assists away from the single-tournament assist record: West Germany's Walter (1954) and France's Kopa (1958) both had 8. Given France's formidable attacking power, if France at least reaches the semifinals, Olise has a real chance to break the record.

After the match, French coach Deschamps, who is known for his low-key and neutral statements, praised the powerful trident: "France has enough excellent players. When they maintain this mentality and focus, it naturally signals a very bright future." Sweden's coach Potter also expressed admiration: "France is very good at using the wings, and because of the strength of their wing players, we had to double-team them, which in turn created opportunities for their outstanding center-forward and midfielders."

After the match, Barcola also praised Olise, saying he always finds opportunities for teammates to score: "Every time he touches the ball, it's a threat. He also has the ability to score, but he's been unlucky—either hitting the post or being saved by the goalkeeper. I believe his goals will come. He's a genius, and playing with him, I'm confident France can go further." L'Équipe, Le Parisien, and other mainstream media outlets also praised Olise's performance. Marca even argued that an Olise like this is worth the €200 million offer Bayern had made for a Real Madrid player.

In this World Cup, France has scored 13 goals in just four matches, surpassing even Brazil's total in their 1994 title-winning campaign (11 goals in 7 matches). They are just one goal shy of France's own total in their 2018 World Cup victory (14 goals in 7 matches). France's record for most goals in a single World Cup is 23 in 6 matches (1958), while the all-time single-tournament record is held by Hungary (27 goals in 5 matches in 1954). With the trident leading France to an average of at least three goals per game, as long as the team reaches the semifinals, they are very likely to break France's own single-tournament goal record.

France's round-of-16 opponent is Paraguay, who just eliminated Germany in a penalty shootout. In the 1998 World Cup, France also faced Paraguay in the round of 16. Back then, France narrowly won with a 114th-minute extra-time goal from defender Laurent Blanc, nearly being forced into a penalty shootout. This time, with a much stronger attacking force, France should not need to extend the match into extra time as they did 28 years ago.