Zlatan Ibrahimovic labelled Michael Olise a 'genius' following France's 3-0 win over Sweden and warned Lionel Messi that his World Cup goalscoring record will inevitably be brought to an end by Kylian Mbappe.
Widely tipped as one of the red-hot favourites to come out on top before a ball was kicked this summer, Les Bleus have not disappointed, playing an attacking brand of football which has lit up the tournament.
The 2022 runners-up secured their spot in the round of 32 with a 100 per cent record in Group I, scoring ten goals and conceding only twice from their three matches against Norway, Senegal and Iraq.
France cruise past Sweden into last 16
On Tuesday, Didier Deschamps' men further established themselves as a force to be reckoned with as they romped to a comprehensive victory over Sweden to safely book their place in the last 16.
Golden Boot contender Kylian Mbappe continued his heroics with a double either side of Bradley Barcola's emphatic 53rd minute strike in something of a mismatch amid scorching-hot temperatures in New Jersey.
Mbappe's stunning brace moved the attacker just one goal off Messi's all-time record of 19 goals at World Cups, with the Real Madrid superstar finding the back of the net 18 times in his 18 appearances dating back to 2018.
Ibrahimovic: 'Olise has vision that others don't have'
'I said it before the match: I still haven't seen a single weakness in this France team. Any one of their attackers can win them a game,' ex-Sweden, PSG and AC Milan striker Ibrahimovic said in the FOX Sports studio shortly after the final whistle.
'Michael Olise has a vision that the other ones don't have. They are killers, they can win the game and Olise can also win the game. But as an ex-football player, when he's in the game he sees solutions that the other ones don't see. That's the vision that the other ones don't have. Only a genius has that and Olise is showing that.'
According to Ibrahimovic, France are a frightening prospect for any opposition at this year's World Cup and boast three of the five best players on the planet.
'We'll see how far France can go, but they're a scary team,' he added. 'Three of the five best players in the world are in this attack: Dembele, Olise and Mbappe. For the other two, you can add Haaland and Yamal. Messi is in a class of his own.'
Mbappe closing in on Messi's World Cup goals record
Ibrahimovic, who represented Sweden at two World Cups, says Messi must accept that his goalscoring record will – at some stage – be bettered by the rampant Mbappe.
'The most goals in the knockout stage in history. He scored two goals today and crazy numbers,' Ibrahimovic said of Mbappe's phenomenal goalscoring exploits. 'He will always score, he's only 27, he's going to bring more goals. Lionel Messi is going to score goals but, in the end, Mbappe is going to beat that record. He's going to be the most goalscoring player in history.'
French World Cup winner Frank Leboeuf agreed with Ibrahimovic's take while reacting to the match in the ESPN studio, claiming: 'There's no way that Messi can keep that record. That's what it is because he's only 27, he's going to score many goals until maybe the final of this World Cup, he's going to play another World Cup… he's going to score 22, 23, 24 goals in World Cups. He's going to explode any records for human beings in football which is only deserved.'
France's path ahead
France resume their campaign against Paraguay in the round of 16 at Philadelphia Stadium this weekend, knowing a potential clash versus Canada or Morocco awaits them in the quarter-finals.
Deschamps is looking to make yet more history this summer having already lifted the prestigious trophy as both a player and a manager.
