Tuesday June 30, Game 6 of 16 of the Round of 32: France vs Sweden

So, for the knockout rounds of World Cup 2026, I'm making my picks based on four criteria: (1) support for Palestine, (2) how radical the democracy is (no, the US and the West are not the standard—the further right a country is politically, the worse it fares), (3) better popular music, and (4) immigration.

So for France vs Sweden, the pick is: France.

On Palestine, it is not controversial anymore among European states to recognize Palestinian statehood. Sweden was the first EU country to do so. France supports statehood, but has not done so formally.

France has large African and Arab populations, a robust left, and Muslims, who support Palestinian freedom. As for the players, Ousmane Dembele, Ibrahim Konate, Marcus Thuram, and Dayot Upamecano spoke out - with varying levels of intensity - against Israel’s war on Palestinians in Gaza. For Sweden, retired players have spoken out, but not on the current team.

Both countries have robust democratic systems; the left has governed at the national level in Sweden. In France, the left, mainly represented by La France Insoumise, is becoming a significant political force but has not cracked the national power in recent times.

France has better music. Its former empire, especially in the Caribbean and Africa, which gifted us large diasporas in “the metropol,” takes the credit for that.

On immigration, both are bad for different reasons. Sweden has become more xenophobic and Islamophobic. Right-wing parties are more prominent. France is more Islamophobic and historically treated its black and African populations badly. But blacks and other minorities have more visibility than they would in Sweden.

Overall, France gets the nod, though it is a close contest. That’s also what my gut and my Pan-Africanism would do.

* I am currently 3 for 4 on the ethical meter (Brazil, Paraguay and Morocco). And Norway is ahead at halftime.