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At a Glance:<\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/strong><\/p>\n 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\u2019s tournament in North America.<\/p>\n Graham Potter\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Aura \ud83e\udef1\ud83e\udef2 pic.twitter.com\/yKqyyKJUfM<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Swedish Football (@svenskfotboll) March 31, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n 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.<\/p>\n With Alexander Isak and Dejan Kulusevski out injured, the Arsenal forward was deployed as a lone striker, with Newcastle United\u2019s Anthony Elanga and Celtic\u2019s Benjamin Nygren selected behind him. Elanga gave Potter\u2019s team the lead early on, hammering the ball off the underside of the bar after a neat flick from Yasin Ayari.<\/p>\n Poland drew level shortly after, with Nicola Zalewski\u2019s 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\u2019s tap-in. <\/p>\n Then came Gyokeres\u2019 moment. The 27-year-old pounced on a loose ball inside Poland\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Swedish Fans<\/a> posited that Gyokeres might actually be the \u2018best striker in the world\u2019 after this late winner. <\/p>\n \u201cThe best striker in the world right now, right? Even though he sometimes disappears from the game, you know you have Viktor Gy\u00f6keres up there. <\/p>\n \u201cHe was in the right place at the right time as usual and decided the fight.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, The soccer channel<\/a> dubbed him the match hero, awarding the former Sporting striker with a 5\/5 in their player ratings: \u201cMatch Hero. Stayed ahead when Sweden needed it most and scored the decisive 3-2 goal.\u201d<\/p>\n Elsewhere, The Express<\/a> claimed that Gyokeres is already Sweden\u2019s \u2018single greatest World Cup hero\u2019. <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019t keep him quiet.<\/p>\n This is a significant moment in Gyokeres\u2019 career, and Arsenal will hope that he\u2019s buoyed by this success as they approach the run-in. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Swedish media laud \u2018hero\u2019 Viktor Gyokeres<\/h2>\n
Viktor Gyokeres\u2019 statistics vs Poland<\/h2>\n
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\n Viktor Gyokeres\u2019 statistics vs Poland<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Minutes Played<\/td>\n 90<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Goals<\/td>\n 1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Expected Goals<\/td>\n 0.71<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Shots<\/td>\n 1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Accurate Passes<\/td>\n 9\/15 (60%)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Chances Created<\/td>\n 0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Touches in Opposition Box<\/td>\n 2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>