France vs Sweden World Cup 2026 Preview

France and Sweden meet in the World Cup Round of 32 on 30 June 2026, with kick-off at 21:00 GMT (17:00 EST) at the New York New Jersey Stadium. Two-time winners France arrive as heavy favourites under Didier Deschamps, who has confirmed he will step down at the end of the tournament, while Graham Potter’s Sweden squeezed through as one of the best third-placed teams.

Les Bleus dominated Group I, beating Senegal, Iraq and Norway to finish on nine points and a 4-1 win over Norway sealed a perfect group campaign; France scored 10 and conceded two, with Ousmane Dembélé’s hat-trick emphasising their attacking depth. Sweden’s route was more uneven: four points after a 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands, a win over Tunisia and a 1-1 draw with Japan left them having scored seven and conceded seven.

Defensive personnel will shape the tie.

United States, New York New Jersey

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