France vs Sweden: A World Cup Meeting 96 Years in the Making

After waiting almost a century to meet at a World Cup, France and Sweden will at last cross paths on football’s biggest stage. The two nations face each other in the round of 32 on Tuesday, 30 June, ending a statistical anomaly that has persisted since the first tournament in 1930.

A History of Near Misses

The closest the sides came to meeting before now was in the 1958 semi-finals, when a 17-year-old Pelé inspired Brazil to a 5-2 victory over France, postponing the clash by 68 years. Sweden, the host nation, reached the final but lost 5-2 to Brazil. Since then, the teams have been ever-present figures on the global stage: France have played 76 World Cup matches, Sweden 54. Yet they have always managed to avoid one another.

In 1950, Sweden finished third while France opted not to travel to Brazil at the last minute. In 1994, Sweden again reached the podium after a 4-0 win over Bulgaria, the same side that had denied France a place at the finals in dramatic qualifying. When France reached the final in 1998, 2006, 2018 and 2022, Sweden were present in 2006 and 2018 but found themselves on the opposite side of the draw.

Memorable Encounters Outside the World Cup

Though they have never met in a World Cup, the sides have shared several memorable chapters. They drew 1-1 in the group stage of UEFA EURO 1992 on Swedish soil. Twenty years later, Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a magnificent acrobatic volley in a 2-0 win during the group stage of EURO 2012. More recently, they crossed paths in qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, each winning 2-1 on home turf.

Contrasting Paths to the Knockout Stage

This time, the balance of power appears different. France arrive in formidable form, with three wins and 10 goals in the group stage, underlining their status among the favourites. Sweden, by contrast, advanced as one of the best third-placed sides, without the same weight of expectation. “I don’t see many teams capable of beating them,” said Ibrahimovic of France. “The only chance an opponent has is when they relax and lower the tempo. It’s the only moment when I’ve seen an opponent get into the match. They play at another level.”

For his part, Didier Deschamps has warned his charges against complacency. Sweden can point to Sebastian Larsson, now part of Graham Potter’s coaching staff, who scored in the 2-0 EURO 2012 victory. “If you look at our history, we’ve beaten more formidable teams before,” Larsson told Reuters. “Even though it’s France, there’s reason to believe. And hopefully the players feel the same way.”

The Wait Is Over

After almost a century of near misses, France and Sweden will finally meet on football’s grandest stage. On paper, it is clear which team are the cat and which are the mouse. But if the World Cup has taught us anything, it is that football rarely follows the script – and that sometimes, just sometimes, the mouse slips away.