There are moments in a World Cup that lodge themselves in the memory, moments that years later you recall not just the scoreline but the sheer audacit...
There are moments in a World Cup that lodge themselves in the memory, moments that years later you recall not just the scoreline but the sheer audacity of what you saw. France's dismantling of Sweden in New Jersey was one of those afternoons. On paper, it reads as another comfortable win for Didier Deschamps' side. But the paper doesn't capture the way Kylian Mbappé tore through the Swedish lines with the kind of cold, clinical finishing that has drawn him level with Lionel Messi in the race for the golden boot. Two goals, unerring in their precision, and a performance that reminded everyone why this French side is beginning to look like a destiny fulfilled.Michael Olise, though, was the man who walked away with the headlines in the post match chatter. He should have had a hat trick. He had to settle for two assists and a virtuoso display that left jaws on the floor of the New York New Jersey stadium. There is something intoxicating about watching a player who sees angles others don't. Olise's movement off the ball, his weight of pass, the way he drifts into half spaces and then releases the ball at the exact moment the defence thinks they've closed him down. It was football as art, but with the ruthless edge of a team that knows it has more gears to find.And that's the truly frightening prospect for the rest of the tournament. France are winning comfortably against decent opposition, playing with a beauty that is difficult to fully appreciate in the moment. You watch the goals flash by, the patterns of play, the little flicks and one touch combinations, and you think this is as good as it gets. But then you remember Deschamps has players yet to hit their stride. There is more to come. The low block will not save you. The transitional play is too sharp. And when the ball reaches Mbappé in the box, you might as well start walking back to the centre circle.Are we watching a team that will be remembered as one of the greats The evidence is building. Sweden tried to hold their shape, tried to stay compact, but France simply picked the lock with a crowbar of sheer quality. The passing, the movement, the finishing. It is the sort of football that only fully registers on reflection, when you rewatch the highlights and realise just how good everything was. For now, we are left with the simple fact that France look unstoppable. And that is a rare and precious thing in this sport.So soak it in. Because these are the matches that form the memories. The ones where you are watching history being made, even if you don't quite realise it at the time. Sweden will feel the sting of defeat, but they were merely the supporting actors in a masterclass. The lead roles belong to Mbappé and Olise, and the supporting cast is a who's who of world class talent. This French machine is purring. And the rest of the world is scrambling to find the off switch.
