France v Sweden – predictions and odds – 2026 World Cup (30/06/2026)

The knockout stages begin for one of the hot favourites to win the 2026 World Cup. The French side have been relentless in the group stage, with their stars performing at the highest level, scoring 10 goals and conceding just two. Everything is going smoothly for ‘Les Bleus’ in their first two weeks of the tournament – can Gyokeres’ Sweden put them on the back foot? Usually, all eventual champions have to weather a scare; we’ll see if that happens in New Jersey this Tuesday.

If we analyse the quality of play and attacking football in this World Cup – which has been exceptional – the French stand out in a positive light. They made a remarkable start against Senegal (3–1), showing strength up front, although their overall play wasn’t particularly convincing. But their subsequent performances improved: a 3–0 win over Iraq (with another brace from Kylian) and a 4–1 victory against a Norway side packed with substitutes, featuring a hat-trick from Ousmane Dembélé. The common thread in these three matches seems clear: they don’t need to dominate possession or completely control the game; their clinical finishing up front allows them to overcome their opponents. Against a defence that has conceded against Tunisia, the Netherlands and Japan, that looks like a sure-fire recipe for success.

Graham Potter’s side have qualified for the round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams. A resounding 5–1 victory over Tunisia and a draw against Japan that felt like a stalemate were enough for them. Their most potent weapon is Victor Gyokeres, who has gone from strength to strength at Premier League champions Arsenal, though he needs to be set up properly to make a decisive impact. They also have Alexander Isak; although he hasn’t lived up to expectations at Liverpool, the style of play of his national team could see him shine. Rounding out the attack is the lightning-fast Elanga, who, if given space, can cause more than a few scares. At the back, Lindelöf is a natural leader and Hien (of Atalanta) is a force in the tackle, but they are vulnerable. One need only recall that the Netherlands scored five against them.

As things stand, it doesn’t look as though the Swedish side will pose a serious threat to what appears to be the clear favourites based on their performance in the tournament so far. Up front, they have the means to create scoring opportunities and even find the net, but the talent of Didier Deschamps’ lads, combined with their depth on the bench, leads us to believe that only a major upset would see them knocked out in the round of 16. Given the nature of the squads, we expect to see plenty of goals; we’re going for three goals and a France win – a bet with great value.