The Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup continues, and so far there have been quite a few surprises.
In the knockout stage, anything can happen, and the same goes for the match between France and Sweden, which will take place at midnight on July 1 (00:00).
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
So far, Didier Deschamps’ team has proven to be the most consistent and dangerous side in the tournament, with a roster brimming with talent and quality across all positions on the field.
This is exactly what they demonstrated in the group stage, where the “Tricolores” went a perfect 3-0. They got off to a strong start against Senegal with a 3-1 victory, followed by a convincing 3-0 win over Iraq (3-0), and they routed Norway 4-1.
The French are riding high off the momentum of their previous two World Cups, in which they went all the way, and their clear goal is to do exactly the same in this World Cup.
The roster:
Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan (Milan), Brice Samba (Rennes), Robin Risser (Lens)
Defenders: Lucas Digne (Aston Villa), Malo Gusto (Chelsea), Lucas Hernández (Paris Saint-Germain), Theo Hernández (Al-Hilal), Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool), Jules Koundé (Barcelona), Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich)
Midfielders: N’Golo Kanté (Fenerbahçe), Manou Koné (Roma), Adrien Rabiot (Milan), Aurélien Tchouaméni (Real Madrid), Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain)
Forwards: Magne Aklious (Monaco), Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain), Rayan Cherki (Manchester City), Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain), Désiré Doué (Paris Saint-Germain), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace), Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan)
On the other side, Sweden has shown two different sides to its game in the tournament so far, with its inconsistency standing out.
After their emphatic opening match against Tunisia and an impressive 5-1 victory, they suffered a crushing 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands, though they managed to secure their advancement against Japan with a crucial draw (1-1).
The Swedes have a mountain to climb, but history has shown that the World Cup is full of surprises.
Roster:
Goalkeepers: Viktor Johansson (Stoke), Jakob Widel Zetterström (Derby County), Christopher Nordfeldt (AIK Stockholm)
Defenders: Victor Lindelöf (Aston Villa), Gabriel Gudmundsson (Leeds United), Gustaf Lagerbielke (Braga), Elliot Straud (Mjällby), Eric Smith San (Pauli), Isaac Hien (Atalanta), Karl Starfelt (Celta), Daniel Svensson (Dortmund), Hermann Johansson (Dallas), Hjálmar Ekdal (Groningen)
Midfielders: Yassin Ayari (Brighton), Jesper Karlström (Udinese), Lukas Bergwall (Tottenham), Mattias Svanberg (Wolfsburg), Benjamin Nigrén (Celtic), Besfort Zéneli Union (Saint-Gilloise)
Forwards: Alexander Isak (Liverpool), Alexander Bernhardsson (Holstein Kiel), Anthony Elanga (Newcastle), Viktor Gokeres (Arsenal), Gustav Nilsson (Club Brugge), Ken Sema (Paphos), Taha Ali (Malmö)
Possible starting lineups:
France: Menian, Koundé, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne, Tchouaméni, Rabiot, Dembélé, Olise, Doué, Mbappé
Sweden: Zetterström, Gudmundsson, Lindelöf, Lagerbielke, Strund, Ayari, Karlström, Bernhardsson, Isak, Gökçer, Elanga
*photo source: AP
