Lionel Messi had his record-breaking moment at this World Cup but at this rate Kylian Mbappe will be rendering that legendary feat short-lived.If Messi is the current king on the throne, then France’s captain fantastic, the focal point of their frightening attack, is the heir apparent after leapfrogging Miroslav Klose in the all-time goalscoring charts and onto the heels of the Argentina great with his double in a strong 3-0 victory over Sweden on Tuesday night.Didier Deschamps, back on the touchline following the tragic death of his mother last week, had a smile on his face again as his team cruised into the last 16, with Mbappe embracing him in a heartwarming moment after his terrific first. Bradley Barcola replaced Desire Doue on the left-hand side of Deschamps’ frontline and he repaid his grieving coach with the second goal of the day. Michael Olise registered two assists, taking his tally at the tournament to five, in the smoothest of displays. And as Sweden continued to fade after a spirited start, Mbappe moved to within one goal of Messi and capped a routine win for his mighty nation.No team in history had scored three goals or more in five straight World Cup games but France achieved that in New Jersey. At this stage it seems inconceivable that they won’t be back here on July 19 for the final, where Messi and Argentina look likely to await in a rematch of that epic 2022 final.As he continues to stalk the great Leo in the goal standings, Mbappe will be licking his lips at the prospect of snatching that famous trophy back from them. Kylian Mbappe moved to within a goal of Lionel Messi’s World Cup record in France’s 3-0 win over SwedenSwedes fade fast It took France nearly 20 minutes to heat up in scorching temperatures at MetLife Stadium. Graham Potter said his team needed to have the game of their lives here and they were the ones who started it like men possessed, pressing with speed and intensity in the middle of the park, while the physicality of Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres caused club teammate William Saliba and his centre-back partner Dayot Upamecano some difficulty down the other end.Yet they soon retreated into their shell as the fearsome French frontline, without a doubt the most intimidating at this summer’s tournament, began to find gaps in the final third.Mbappe was denied an opener by the tightest of offside calls when he raced through unmarked and converted past Jacob Widell Zetterstrom not long before the first-half hydration break. Adrien Rabiot was denied by the boot of the Swedish goalkeeper shortly after. Then, within four astonishing minutes, both Mbappe and Olise struck the woodwork, the latter almost producing one of the goals of the World Cup so far with a remarkable bicycle kick that was kept out by the post. Les Bleus were knocking on the door and Potter’s men, who at one moment had a flat eight-man backline, could do little but sit deep and defend their own box. The inevitable France opener was quickly becoming a matter of when rather than if, and in the 45th minute it was their main man who delivered it. Along with Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise, Mbappe is part of the most devastating attack in this tournament Sweden needed to produce the game of their lives but they faded rapidly after a spirited startAfter being released in the box by Dembele, Mbappe found himself one-on-one with a fellow attacker in Gyokeres. His feet were far too quick for Sweden’s stocky center-forward, with a bewildering stepover and two delicate touches freeing him up to curl the ball home from the edge of the six-yard box.And when Barcola added a two-goal cushion shortly after the break, their miserable fate was all but sealed. An attack like no other While Messi is pretty much carrying Argentina in their bid for a second straight World Cup, Mbappe is simply the brightest jewel in an elegant French diamond. Deschamps simply has an embarrassment of riches going forward, with Olise as delightful to watch here as Les Bleus’ talisman.The silky Bayern Munich star produced two exquisite passes for Barcola to double their advantage and later for Mbappe to put them out of sight. While it was his neat interplay with Ousmane Dembele, who also can’t be forgotten, which preceded the latter teeing up his PSG teammate’s opener. Olise was as delightful to watch as Mbappe in a comfortable victory for France in New JerseyDeschamps had the luxury of starting Doue and Rayan Cherki on the bench here, two players who would walk into plenty of lineups in the US, Canada and Mexico this summer. Messi’s magic may be enough to send Argentina to the final, but will their defense really be able to live with a masterful French frontline that seems to be getting better and better at this tournament? History not at the forefront of Mbappe’s mind The Real Madrid Galactico, so often lambasted for a so-called attitude problem, became the World Cup’s second greatest goalscorer with his opening strike but his first thought was to head straight to Deschamps, who missed last week’s win over Norway due to the tragedy in his personal life.His captain’s latest breathtaking finish will have helped lift his spirits after a devastating week. And seven minutes into the restart France gave their manager something to smile about once more when Barcola doubled the lead.Sweden, playing a lot like a team who sneaked into the World Cup via the Nations League backdoor, gave the ball away cheaply near the halfway line and Aurelien Tchouameni picked it up before finding Olise, who played a delightful pass to unleash the Paris St-Germain forward inside the area. He made no mistake from close range to leave Sweden with a mountain to climb. Didier Deschamps had a smile on his face again after the tragic death of his mother last weekThen, with the result already a foregone conclusion, Mbappe collected another outstanding Olise pass into the box with 15 minutes to play and rifled the ball home to net his 18th World Cup goal in as many matches and seal the victory.When he and Olise, who was equally mesmerizing last night, were replaced in the final five minutes MetLife’s French contingent rose to its feet in awe and adulation. The pair were phenomenal and it is tough to see how they, along with Dembele and the interchanging Barcola and Doue, don’t propel France to the final with Paraguay and likely Morocco to come next. Even Spain and Portugal, their potential semifinal opponents, will be quaking in their boots.Messi etched his name into the history books even further last week by becoming the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer. While that record surely won’t last by the time the next tournament rolls around, the current edition looks perfectly poised to conclude with a battle between the king and his heir in New Jersey later this month.