Deschamps warns of the danger posed by Sweden without pressure in the World Cup.

Maximum alert for the French: Sweden, considered one of the underdogs of this World Cup, reaches the round of 16 with nothing to lose and ready to surprise. Didier Deschamps, the French coach, issued a stern warning to his squad: “Sweden is not playing for survival. Obviously, they will do everything to win, but they have nothing to lose,” the coach declared on Monday during a press conference at MetLife Stadium, in the New York area, where the two teams will compete for a place in the quarter-finals tomorrow.

France, the favorite to win the trophy after triumphing in 2018 and suffering a dramatic final loss to Argentina in 2022, arrives at this decisive match buoyed by an impeccable group stage. Les Bleus were one of only three teams to secure nine points out of nine possible, alongside defending champions Argentina and co-hosts Mexico, and achieved the impressive feat of scoring ten goals, matching Germany and the Netherlands as the most prolific attacks in the tournament so far.

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Deschamps, who returned to lead the team after being absent due to the death of his mother – “It was very difficult when he announced the death of his mother and said he had to step away. It was a shock,” revealed Adrien Rabiot, midfielder for the French national team – emphasized the need for maximum concentration in this knockout stage: “We need to maintain humility, determination, and focus. In the group stage, winning the first game gave us some margin for error, but now there are no second chances.” The French coach also highlighted the quality of the opponent: “They are a good team, very athletic, but also with (Viktor) Gyokeres, (Alexander) Isak, and (Anthony) Elanga, they have a lot of quality in attack.”

Sweden, for its part, reaches this stage of the competition almost miraculously, having finished at the bottom of the qualifying group but securing qualification through the play-offs thanks to their performance in the Nations League. The Swedes qualified as one of the best third-placed teams, following a crushing 5-1 victory over Tunisia, a draw with Japan, and a heavy defeat to the Netherlands. Despite the challenges, the Nordic team arrives motivated, aware that all favouritism rests with the French.

Interestingly, recent history between the two teams favours the Swedes. In their only encounter in a major tournament, at Euro 2012, Sweden won 2-0, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic – now a television commentator in the United States – scoring one of the goals. That result is certainly fresh in the minds of the French players, who want to avoid repeating that disappointment.

Regarding the French lineup, Deschamps revealed that Marcus Thuram is likely to miss the match due to a slight muscle injury, while N’Golo Kanté remains a doubt. William Saliba, who missed the game against Norway due to back pain, is expected to return to the centre of defence, strengthening the French backline for what promises to be an intense clash.

The return of Deschamps to the locker room was met with relief and motivation by the players. “We are happy to have him back. It’s not easy to be in mourning under these circumstances, but I think he returned with a real desire to do well and go as far as possible in the competition,” shared Adrien Rabiot, reflecting on the emotional impact of the coach’s presence.

The winner of Tuesday’s match will advance to the quarter-finals, where they will face, on Saturday in Philadelphia, the winner of the clash between Germany and Paraguay. With maximum pressure on the shoulders of the French and Sweden playing without any complexes, the duel promises strong emotions and the possibility of an upset cannot be ruled out. For France, only victory matters – any slip-up could mean a premature farewell to yet another World Cup dream.

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