World Cup live updates in NJ — France tops Sweden on two Mbappé goals – Bergen Record

North Jersey welcomes World Cup action back on Tuesday, June 30 at New York New Jersey Stadium, aka MetLife Stadium. It’s France vs. Sweden in the Round of 32 today.
We’re more than two weeks into the tournament now, so we’re getting the hang of things in and around East Rutherford. Another large crowd is expected on Tuesday. MetLife Stadium has already hosted three massive group stage attendances with two sellouts (80,663) and one near-capacity crowd for France vs. Senegal.
The winner of France vs. Sweden advances to face Paraguay on Saturday, July 4 in Philadelphia in the Round of 16.
Check back here throughout the day Tuesday as we bring you live coverage for this historic event.
Kylian Mbappe and France advance to face Paraguay on Saturday, July 4 in Philadelphia in the Round of 16 – on America’s 250th birthday.
France’s goalkeeper Mike Maignan comes up with a big save in the 88th minute to keep the 3-0 shutout intact.
That’s all for France superstar Kylian Mbappe. He’s subbed off in the 84th minute to a big applause.
The second goal of this game for Kylian Mbappé gave France a 3-0 lead in the second half, giving him 18 goals in the 18 World Cup games he’s played. A goal a game!
Nutley native Martha Stewart shown on TV in the second half watching the France vs. Sweden match in the MetLife confines.
Pop superstar Oliva Rodrigo was shown in the stadium earlier in the game on Tuesday.
Bradley Barcola goal, Michael Olise on the assist, 53rd minute, 2-0 France.
“France is the African European team,” said Newark East Side center back Moses Singleton.
He’s very correct. Mbappe’s parents are from Cameroon and Algeria. Barcola is half French and half Togolese. 
France finished the first half with 71 percent possession, a 6-1 edge in shots on goal and hit each post.
Fifth goal of this competition for Kylian Mbappe gave France a 1-0 lead in the first half. Mbappé who cuts in from the left side and slips one into the top right corner.
France has scored three goals in each of their last four WC matches but was being held off the board before the 45th minute. .
France’s Michael Olise rings one off the right post on a bicycle kick from the top of the box in the 36th minute.
Swedish keeper Jacob Widell Zetterström robbed French midfielder Adrien Rabiot on a sliding kick save in the 30th minute by the right post to set up a corner.
Moments later the corner kick ends in a Kylian Mbappe shot ringing off the post and nearly gave France a 1-0 lead.
Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer,” which has become a stadium staple across the continent in recent years, is played during the first hydration break. And a lot of people around the stadium know the chorus. Definitely the Jerseyest World Cup match in the Garden State thus far.
France superstar Kylian Mbappé comes up the middle on a clean breakaway and scores in the 20th minute, but it’s called offside. Game remains scoreless and moments later the first Hydration Break is upon us.
Kickoff at 5 p.m. in heat on the New York New Jersey Stadium, aka MetLife Stadium, pitch. One of these teams is going home today.
A few minutes ahead of the start, team captains Kylian Mbappe and Victor Lindelof exchange badges and meet with the officials.
At 4:55 p.m., they’re rolling up the flags. The little kids are walking off the field holding hands in a line. 
At 4:50 p.m., the players are walking through the two rows of volunteers, between the flags, and lining up for the national anthems. 
Volunteers are rolling out the big flags, France on the north end of the field and Sweden on the south, with the round FIFA World Cup logo covering the center circle.
Volunteers are walking out with blue-and-white FIFA flags, as well as the flags of France and Sweden. They’re forming two rows the players will come through at the start of the match.
At 4:45 pm., the pre-match ceremony is beginning, with the big white FIFA block letters placed on the field. 
It seems like there are fewer France jerseys in the building than against Senegal.
It’s just after 3:30 p.m. so it’s time for player intros. France first, and the response is kind of low key
“We’re here to do the impossible: beat France,” said Oksar Serrander of Atavidberg, Sweden, a small town about two hours from the capital, Stockholm. 
Wearing a homemade midsummer crown, his 13-year-old daughter Madeline, piped up, “There’s a slim chance, but it would be amazing. The fans have a lot of sportsmanship.” 
Sweden has joined France on the field. Sweden is wearing screaming yellow, similar to Colombia and Ecuador. The officials for today’s match are wearing pink.
It’s time for the Star Spangled Banner again. With the sprinklers running on the turf.
Fans of Sweden has over the south end zone, and fans of France the north. There are several blue-and-yellow banners already hung up above the 200 section: Section 101, Camp Sweden
Brazil will take on Norway in a Round of 16 match at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, July 5.
Expect another packed, high-energy crowd at MetLife, which has been one of the World Cup’s loudest venues this summer.
You can search various secondary sites to secure a ticket for the Sunday, July 5 matchup between Brazil and Norway. Click through here to see options
France head coach Didier Deschamps is back with Les Bleus after briefly returning home following the death of his mother. He missed France’s 4-1 win over Norway to close out the group stage, then returned to the United States on Friday evening.
Deschamps said keeping busy with match preparation has helped him.
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m here. I’m good,” Deschamps said Monday. “Everything went well for the third match. For me, it was very difficult. For me and for the French National Team, it was important that I left. They did what they had to do.”
France enters the Round of 32 as one of the tournament’s most dominant sides. Ranked No. 2 in the world, the French swept all three group‑stage matches – one of only three teams to do so, along with Mexico and Argentina – and scored 10 goals in those games. They’ve reached at least the quarterfinals in three straight World Cups, winning in 2018 and finishing runners‑up in 2022.
Deschamps emphasized that France must balance confidence with caution as knockout play begins. He said he expects Sweden to play with nothing to lose. 
“We’re confident, not over-confident because we know that we’re going to get higher and higher qualities,” Deschamps said. “We need to respect our opponents to stay very focused and lucid and we’ll win matches.”
The French attack has been relentless. Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé came into the day tied for second in the tournament with four goals each, trailing only Argentina’s Lionel Messi (six).
“It’s like one big family, one big community,” said Diego Rosas, a recent graduate of Newark East Side High School who attended the match with four teammates. Between them, there were two Mexico jerseys, one France ‘98, and a plain white tee.“It’s very inspiring to up and coming soccer players who have big dreams.”
There are very long lines outside the FIFA store in the Fan Zone around 2:15 p.m. And if you’re hungry for something beyond the typical stadium menu, lobster roll and filet mignon are on the menu at the Fan Zone.
Checking in from the bridge from American Dream by the south endzone: It’s a pro-France crowd so far but way more neutrals than the previous matches. There are jerseys for Columbia, Argentina, Mexico, Germany and of course USA. The NJSEA set up fans blowing cool air by the bridge. It’s currently 90 degrees in East Rutherford, (for reference, it’s 80 in Paris and 70 in Stockholm).
There’s a new addition to the police presence on Route 3 West heading toward the stadium. Three of the small roadside billboards now read “Don’t walk on highway. Illegal and unsafe.”The electronic signs are now focused on conveying that caution instead of providing directions to the correct parking area.
Sweden, ranked No. 37, is back on the knockout‑round stage after missing the 2022 World Cup. The Swedes last reached the Round of 16 in 2018, when they advanced to the quarterfinals. Sweden coach Graham Potter called it a “once-in-a-lifetime chance” for his young squad to play the two-time champs on a big stage at MetLife Stadium.
“We have full respect for the opponent,” said Potter, whose team went 1-1-1 in Group F. “We know the exciting challenge that awaits us. We have to play the game of our lives, clearly, and the boys are in a really good place to be able to do that.”
France has dominated this matchup historically, winning four of the last five meetings with Sweden. The lone exception came in 2017, when Sweden won a World Cup qualifier.
Potter stressed that Sweden must be “as close to perfect as you can be” for 90 minutes, and that the match will require contributions from the entire squad, not just the starting XI.
“You have to have the belief that you can win on the day,” Potter said. “We’re not playing France over 10 games or 20 games or 30 games. It’s one match. It’s a knockout game. We’ve got a lot to gain, a lot to win. We see it as an opportunity.”
France midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who played at MetLife Stadium against Senegal last week, said the field surface has improved slightly but remains challenging.
“It is a fact that in Europe we play on pitches better, in a better condition,” Rabiot said. “I think the lawn is higher, maybe easier to play on, but the pitch is difficult to play on despite the fact that the grass is a bit smoother. We’ll have to adapt like we’ve always been and the pitch will not be an excuse.”
There’s no rain in the forecast on Tuesday in East Rutherford, according to weather.com, like there was for Norway-Senegal last week. However, temperatures are expected to sit in the high 80s for most of the day and could creep into the low 90s.
As of 9 a.m. on Tuesday, there were still $20 host committee bus shuttle tickets available for the Columbus Circle and east of Grand Central locations (the other two from the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Nutley, New Jersey were already sold out).
NJ Transit transported on average about 24,000 fans to and from the first five matches in New Jersey, below their 40,000-person capacity per match. Organizers are advising people to take advantage of NJ Transit.
“For fans who have not yet finalized their travel plans, NJ Transit remains the fastest way to get to and from New York New Jersey Stadium,” said Alex Lasry, CEO of the region’s host committee.
For rideshare and driving, there are 4,700 parking spots available for at least $225 at American Dream per match. Those who arrived early on Saturday had a smooth experience but endured traffic on the way out.
For in-depth transportation information about coming and going from MetLife Stadium for France vs. Sweden on Tuesday, check out this article.
NorthJersey.com staff writers Colleen Wilson, Albert Bainbridge IV, and Noah Nussbaum contributed to this article

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