Viktor Gyokeres produced a world-class performance to keep Sweden’s World Cup dreams alive in Valencia on Thursday night.
The Arsenal forward scored a clinical hat trick to secure a 3-1 victory over Ukraine. Consequently, Sweden now face a winner-takes-all showdown against Poland this Tuesday.
Graham Potter’s side entered the match as underdogs following a winless qualification group stage.
However, Gyokeres proved why he remains one of Europe’s most feared strikers by dominating the Ukrainian defence.
The scoring began early at the Ciutat de Valencia stadium. Gyokeres latched onto a precise Benjamin Nygren cross in the sixth minute to give Sweden the lead.
📣 Viktor Gyokeres with a hat-trick against Ukraine to send Sweden into the FIFA World Cup Qualifier play-off final 📣 pic.twitter.com/EEnDk2GX3h
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 26, 2026
Ukraine struggled to contain his physical presence throughout the first half. After the interval, the striker doubled the advantage following a long ball from goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt.
He showed immense power to hold off his marker before finishing with trademark finesse. Finally, Gyokeres completed his treble from the penalty spot after drawing a foul inside the area.
Potter praises “incredible” Viktor Gyokeres
Sweden coach Graham Potter was full of praise for his talismanic forward after the final whistle. “Viktor’s performance was incredible,” Potter told reporters during his post-game news conference.
“To score a hat-trick was one thing,” he said. “But I thought his overall performance, his hold-up play, his defensive responsibility to the team, was incredible.”
Furthermore, Potter noted that the team’s mentality was superb despite missing stars like Alexander Isak.
This victory marks Potter’s first win since taking charge of the national team three games ago.
🗣 Graham Potter: "Viktor was world class. When you have a player like that you have a chance." pic.twitter.com/VZYKWcUtyK
— Arsenal Radar (@ArsenalRadar) March 26, 2026
Ukraine World Cup hopes vanish
For Ukraine, the defeat represents a bitter end to their 2026 World Cup journey. Youngster Matvii Ponomarenko scored a late consolation goal, but it was not enough to spark a comeback.
Coach Serhiy Rebrov lamented the result while acknowledging the superior quality of the opposition’s star man. “Gyokeres showed his quality and why he plays for Arsenal,” Rebrov admitted.
Rebrov’s own future remains uncertain as his current contract expires in just two months.
Sweden must now recover quickly before hosting Poland on Tuesday in Solna. A victory there would guarantee their spot in North America this summer.
Potter warned that the job is not finished yet. Nevertheless, the momentum from this convincing win provides a massive boost for the Swedish squad.
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