France
World CupWhy this tip?
France and Sweden are set to continue their European rivalry when they meet for the first time at a World Cup, in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Sweden are in poor form and will have a monumental task of trying to defeat one of the favorites to win the World Cup in this highly anticipated encounter. We have continuously predicted France to win their group matches, and I cannot see this match going any other way. France has a 100% record at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and should continue this form with a 3 – 1 win over Sweden.
Match Preview
- Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026
- Matchday: Last 32
- Date: 30 June 2026
- Kick-off time: 17:00 USA (23:00 SA)
- Venue: New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium)
Match details
France and Sweden continue their European rivalry in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, clashing at the New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium) in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The match is set to take place on the 30th of June 2026, commencing at 17:00 (GMT-4) in East Rutherford, and 23:00 (GMT+2) in South Africa. We are in the midst of the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and if you are enjoying our expert coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, head over to our Topbets World Cup predictions page.
Why this match matters
The sixth match of the Round of 32 sees Group I winners France taking on Sweden, who finished third in Group F and qualified as one of the best third-placed teams, for a place in the last 16. This encounter is steeped in European football heritage, as both teams have met in the UEFA Nations League, European World Cup Qualifiers and the UEFA European Championship in the past.
France won all three of their group matches while Sweden picked up four points in their three group games. Sweden has success at the FIFA World Cup, and has reached the semi-finals on four occasions, but standing in their way are back-to-back World Cup finalists and 2018 FIFA World Cup champions and favourites to reach the final once again, France.
France vs Sweden head-to-head stats
Head-to-head record
France and Sweden have a long history in men’s senior international football, dating back to 1935, when the two teams first met in an International Friendly. Despite their shared history, this is their first encounter at the FIFA World Cup.
Both teams have met 23 times, with France leading the head-to-head (12 – 5 – 6), winning 12, drawing 5, and losing 6. In their meetings, France scored 34 goals, while Sweden scored 23 times. Their last five meetings consisted of:
- 17/11/2020 (2020 UEFA Nations League) France 4 – 2 Sweden
- 05/09/2020 (2020 UEFA Nations League) Sweden 0 – 1 France
- 09/06/2017 (2018 World Cup Qualifier) Sweden 2 – 1 France
- 11/11/2016 (2018 World Cup Qualifier) France 2 – 1 Sweden
- 18/11/2014 (Friendly International) France 1 – 0 Sweden
France’s recent form
France’s last five matches: LWWWW–
France are in exceptional form heading to their first knockout match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, having won four and lost just once against teams such as:
- 26/06/2026 (FIFA World Cup): Norway 1 – 4 France
- 22/06/2026 (FIFA World Cup): France 3 – 0 Iraq
- 16/06/2026 (FIFA World Cup): France 3 – 1 Senegal
- 08/06/2026 (Friendly International): France 3 – 1 Northern Ireland
- 04/06/2026 (Friendly International): France 1 – 2 Côte d’Ivoire
France started their World Cup preparations in fantastic form, topping their World Cup Qualifier group. They have only lost a single match since then, to Côte d’Ivoire. They managed to pick up wins against Brazil, Colombia and Northern Ireland heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In their last five outings, France scored 14 goals and conceded 5 goals. All five matches ended with over 2.5 goals, with four featuring both teams scoring.
France’s World Cup campaign started off with a solid second-half performance against France, which saw them gain all three points. They followed up that defeat with a comprehensive win over Iraq and a rotated Norway side, claiming nine points in the Group stage. From what I have seen in their matches, France are the team to beat if you want to win the World Cup, and I see them reaching the final easily.
Sweden’s recent form
Sweden’s last five matches: LDWLD–
Sweden enters the knockout round in lacklustre form, having won once, lost twice and drawn twice in their last five outings. Their last five matches were against:
- 26/06/2026 (FIFA World Cup): Japan 1 – 1 Sweden
- 20/06/2026 (FIFA World Cup): Netherlands 5 – 1 Sweden
- 15/06/2026 (FIFA World Cup): Sweden 5 – 1 Tunisia
- 04/06/2026 (Friendly International): Sweden 2 – 2 Greece
- 01/06/2026 (Friendly International): Norway 3 – 1 Sweden
Sweden qualified for the World Cup after winning the European playoff rounds. Since then, they have not been in the best of form recently and have the unenviable task of facing one of the bookies’ favourites to lift the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They lost to Norway and drew with Greece heading into the World Cup.
Sweden managed to run riot over a poor Tunisian side before returning to factory settings with a loss to the Netherlands, before picking up a point against Japan. In their last five outings, Sweden has scored 10 goals, while conceding 12 goals. All five matches featured goals from both sides, while four had over 2.5 goals.
Team news
France team news
Injuries: N/A
Suspensions: N/A
Key players to watch: My eyes will be on the French captain in this match. Kylian Mbappé should be the focal point in the French attack due to his off-the-ball runs and clinical finishing. Ousmane Dembele has finally arrived at the World Cup after picking up a hat-trick in their last group game, and should cause problems for the defence. Michael Olise’s pace will be key to stretching the game and creating chances out wide. Aurélien Tchouaméni’s physicality will be used to stop the Swedish attack, while the imposing presence of William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano will thwart goals from the opposition.
Sweden team news
Injuries: N/A
Suspensions: N/A
Key players to watch: Alexander Isak is the focal point of the Swedish attack, offering blistering pace, elite 1v1 dribbling and clinical finishing. His ability to drop back and carry the ball forward has aided Sweden countless times in their attacking transitions. Viktor Gyökeres’s physicality and work rate cause problems for any attack, and his ability to draw defenders in opens up space for Anthony Elanga to use his explosiveness to create goals by adding width. The experience, composure and versatility of Victor Lindelöf will be vital to neutralise the French attack. Isak Hien will play a crucial role in stopping the French onslaught and will need to use his physicality and aerial presence to thwart French chances.
Predicted lineups
France predicted XI
Didier Deschamps will not change a winning strategy and will feature Le Bleus in a highly disciplined, possession-oriented 4-2-3-1 formation. Their pace out wide will be pivotal in breaking Sweden’s low defensive block. A possible fluidity change may be implemented to break the opposition’s defensive compactness with runs behind by their captain. We predict the starting XI Le Bleus to feature:
Mike Maignan (G) – Jules Koundé – William Saliba – Dayot Upamecano – Théo Hernández – Aurélien Tchouaméni – Adrien Rabiot – Michael Olise – Ousmane Dembélé – Désiré Doué – Kylian Mbappé (C).
Sweden predicted XI
Graham Potter has built his side to adapt and shift drastically based on the opposition. His system relies heavily on his potent EPL based attack to create chances for Sweden. In defence, I want to see Sweden focus on controlling the spaces in defence and suffocating the relentless French attack. Sweden must be compact of the ball and not allow France to progress the ball through the middle. I predict the Blågult to use the 3-4-3 formation, with their starting XI featuring:
Jacob Widell Zetterström (G) – Gustaf Lagerbielke – Isak Hien – Gabriel Gudmundsson – Linus Bernhardsson – Victor Lindelöf (C) – Yasin Ayari – Elliot Stroud – Anthony Elanga – Alexander Isak – Viktor Gyökeres.
Best betting markets for France vs Sweden
Match winner
Prediction: France to WIN @ 3/10 (1.30) at Sportingbet.
Over/Under goals
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals @ 61/100 (1.61) at BetXchange.
Both teams to score
Prediction: Both teams to score Yes @ 1/1 (2.00) at Pantherbet.
Anytime goalscorer
Prediction: Kylian Mbappé to score anytime @ 63/100 (1.63) at Betway.
The world may have stopped for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but there is still an action-packed calendar of sporting events. The KZN Champions season headliner is fast approaching and is set to occur on the 04th of July. You can get your Durban July predictions right here at Topbets by checking out our Horse Racing Tips page.
France vs Sweden prediction
Best bet
Prediction: France & Over 2.5 Goals @ 8/10 (1.80) at Hollywoodbets.
Correct score prediction
Prediction: Match to end 3 – 1 to France @ 11/1 (12.00) at WSB.
Match analysis and verdict
France and Sweden are set to continue their European rivalry when they meet for the first time at a World Cup, in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Sweden are in poor form and will have a monumental task of trying to defeat one of the favorites to win the World Cup in this highly anticipated encounter. We have continuously predicted France to win their group matches, and I cannot see this match going any other way. France has a 100% record at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and should continue this form with a 3 – 1 win over Sweden.
Writer/Betting Tipster
I have been in the iGaming industry for a decade and am an avid sports bettor and fan. I have expanded my betting knowledge to create articles on the iGaming industry focusing on online casino content and sports betting analysis for several regions, including South Africa. I cover various sports, including Soccer, Cricket and Horse Racing. All my predictions, tips and insights are thoroughly researched and I aim to help fellow punters in beating the bookies!
