At a Glance:
- Sweden beat Poland 3-2 on Tuesday to qualify for the World Cup.
- Viktor Gyokeres scored the winning goal in the 88th minute.
- Swedish media unsurprisingly lauded the striker for his contribution.
Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres scored and played the full 90 minutes as Sweden beat Poland 3-2 in Solna on Tuesday night to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Gyokeres has divided opinion in North London thus far this campaign, although there were no disputes about his contribution for his national team amongst Swedish pundits and fans on Tuesday. The centre-forward stepped up in the dying embers of the clash at the Strawberry Arena, scoring an 88th minute winner to send his country to this summer’s tournament in North America.
Graham Potter’s side will now travel to Mexico and the United States in June to take part in Group F, with games against Japan, the Netherlands and Tunisia awaiting them.
Aura 🫱🫲 pic.twitter.com/yKqyyKJUfM
— Svensk Fotboll (@svenskfotboll) March 31, 2026
Swedish media laud ‘hero’ Viktor Gyokeres
Gyokeres scored a hat-trick against Ukraine on Thursday to ensure Sweden had the opportunity to book their place at the World Cup. He took the confidence generated from that meaningful contribution into the Poland showdown, delivering an astute display for his country.
With Alexander Isak and Dejan Kulusevski out injured, the Arsenal forward was deployed as a lone striker, with Newcastle United’s Anthony Elanga and Celtic’s Benjamin Nygren selected behind him. Elanga gave Potter’s team the lead early on, hammering the ball off the underside of the bar after a neat flick from Yasin Ayari.
Poland drew level shortly after, with Nicola Zalewski’s deflected effort unsettling a bemused Kristoffer Nordfeldt in the Sweden goal. The home side went back in front when Gustaf Lagerbielke headed home from a set-piece, before the Poles equalised again, this time via Karol Swiderski’s tap-in.
Then came Gyokeres’ moment. The 27-year-old pounced on a loose ball inside Poland’s box, following a succession of Sweden chances, before scooping it into the roof of the net. Pandemonium ensued, not just inside the Strawberry Arena, but also in Swedish media.
Svenska Fans posited that Gyokeres might actually be the ‘best striker in the world’ after this late winner.
“The best striker in the world right now, right? Even though he sometimes disappears from the game, you know you have Viktor Gyökeres up there.
“He was in the right place at the right time as usual and decided the fight.”
Meanwhile, Fotbollskanalen dubbed him the match hero, awarding the former Sporting striker with a 5/5 in their player ratings: “Match Hero. Stayed ahead when Sweden needed it most and scored the decisive 3-2 goal.”
Elsewhere, Expressen claimed that Gyokeres is already Sweden’s ‘single greatest World Cup hero’.
Viktor Gyokeres’ statistics vs Poland
Much like his display against Ukraine, this was a classic Gyokeres performance in many ways. He was largely ineffective throughout the match, completing just nine passes, creating no chances and managing just two touches in the opposition box.
However, when the opportunity arose, he took it ruthlessly. Showing great physicality and alertness so late in the game to snap up the loose ball, he finished calmly under immense pressure.
| Viktor Gyokeres’ statistics vs Poland | |
| Minutes Played | 90 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Expected Goals | 0.71 |
| Shots | 1 |
| Accurate Passes | 9/15 (60%) |
| Chances Created | 0 |
| Touches in Opposition Box | 2 |
The performance and late goal were reminiscent of his recent outing against Everton, when he was also peripheral for large periods but provided the decisive moment. Former Arsenal teammate Jakub Kiwior and ex-Southampton man Jan Bednarek dealt with him well for large periods in Solna, but they ultimately couldn’t keep him quiet.
This is a significant moment in Gyokeres’ career, and Arsenal will hope that he’s buoyed by this success as they approach the run-in.
