France has its first decisive knockout win. Can anyone stop it on the path to the World Cup final?

France’s round-of-32 defeat of Sweden, a team praised for its strong defensive posturing, raises the question: Can anyone defeat Les Bleus at this World Cup?

What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? Well, the French men’s national team wouldn’t know, because it has yet to meet an immovable object in this World Cup.

Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscription

Get exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.

In the first decisive victory of this tournament’s knockout stage, France dominated Sweden on Tuesday in a 3-0 win that guaranteed the French another match this week. This tournament has put France back on top of the FIFA men’s world rankings, just ahead of Argentina, which it lost to in the final four years ago.

But France’s defeat of Sweden, a team praised for its strong defense, raises the question: Can anyone defeat Les Bleus at this World Cup?