France return to MetLife Stadium for a second time at FIFA World Cup 2026, taking on Sweden in what promises to be one of the most compelling round-of-32 ties. Didier Deschamps' side, champions back in 2018, arrive in New Jersey in blistering form — and they intend to stay.

When and how to watch

Kick-off is at 10:00pm BST / 5:00pm ET / 7:00am AEST (Wednesday). The match is free to stream on ITV in the UK — with build-up from 9:15pm BST — and on SBS On Demand in Australia. In the United States, coverage is on Fox, accessible via Fox One, YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Fubo, Sling, or DirecTV. ITV, RTÉ Player, and SBS On Demand all provide English commentary. Irish viewers can stream via RTÉ Player at no cost.

Fans outside those regions can access their home stream using Norton VPN, which offers a 60-day money-back guarantee and global servers for fast, secure connections.

France in devastating form

Les Bleus swept through Group I without dropping a single point, scoring 10 goals and conceding just two across three fixtures. That goal tally would be impressive enough on its own — but the names behind it are what will truly worry Sweden's coaching staff.

Kylian Mbappe has scored twice in each of France's group matches and is hunting down Lionel Messi's record as the World Cup's all-time leading scorer. Ousmane Dembele, long in search of his first major-tournament goal, finally broke the drought against Iraq before following up with a hat-trick in 25 minutes against Norway.

Long-time assistant Guy Stephan took the reins for France's final group game — a 4-1 win over Norway — while Deschamps attended his mother's funeral. The head coach is back in the dugout and fully focused on the knockout rounds.

Sweden's defensive concerns

Graham Potter's Sweden qualified from Group F as runners-up after a difficult campaign. A 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands left a clear mark on their record, and the side have conceded seven goals across their three group games — a vulnerability that France's attack will look to exploit ruthlessly.

Sweden do carry a threat going forward. Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres provide a potent striking partnership, and Potter's team lit up the World Cup when it was last held on US soil in 1994, earning a bronze medal. But Sweden's knockout-stage record since that tournament is sobering: eliminated in the first knockout round in 2002 and 2006, and beaten by England in the quarter-finals in 2018 — their only other World Cup appearance in four attempts before this tournament.

What's at stake

The winner advances to the round of 16 to face Paraguay. France, with their firepower, depth, and momentum, start as heavy favourites. FourFourTwo predicts France 3-1 Sweden, with the same defensive frailties that Sweden showed against the Netherlands likely to prove costly against the most dangerous attack in this tournament.