Viktor Gyökeres delivered an outstanding hat-trick to lead Sweden to a 3-1 victory against Ukraine in a crucial World Cup playoff match at the Ciutat de Valencia stadium.
The Sweden striker opened the scoring in the sixth minute, converting a cross from Benjamin Nygren. After the break, he added two more goals: one from a long pass by goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt, showcasing his power and finesse, and a penalty he won himself to complete the treble.
Ukraine managed a late consolation goal from youngster Matvii Ponomarenko but fell short, missing out on their first World Cup appearance since 2006. The win sets up Sweden for a decisive qualifying showdown with Poland on Tuesday for a spot in this summer’s tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Sweden 3-1 Ukraine: Sweden Prevails in WC Qualifier
Ukraine Coach Praises Gyökeres’ European Class
Ukraine coach Serhiy Rebrov highlighted Gyökeres’ dominance after the match, stating he showed why he is one of the best strikers in Europe and why he plays for Arsenal.
“Gyökeres played great and made the difference tonight,” Rebrov said in his postgame news conference. “He showed his quality.”
Sweden Coach Graham Potter Hails Star Performance
With key players Alexander Isak and Dejan Kulusevski absent, Gyökeres stepped up when Sweden needed him most. This was his first goals in World Cup qualification until this match.
Sweden coach Graham Potter, in just his third game in charge, praised the performance lavishly. “Obviously Viktor’s performance was incredible,” Potter said. “Outside of the goals, because to score a hat trick is one thing, I thought overall his hold up play and his defensive responsibility for the team was part of an incredible performance.”
Potter joked about his pre-game instructions: “I just said go and score a hat trick. But no, the beauty of the win is everyone was on board. The mentality of the team was superb.”
He emphasized the team effort: “Viktor’s performance is the highlight and rightly gets the headlines. He was incredible. But he will say the team behind him are top, too. We can still improve. This is the start of our journey together.”
Sweden reached the playoffs via Nations League performances after failing to win any of their six World Cup qualifying group games. Potter noted the progress: “It was a big step forward tonight. I like the look of the team, how they acted together against a good team, adjusted and fought together.”
Looking ahead to hosting Poland: “We also know we have another game. The job is not done yet. We have a massive game Tuesday against a tough Poland team. We have to recover and be ready to go again.”
Ukraine’s World Cup Hopes End
For Ukraine, the defeat marked the end of their World Cup aspirations. Rebrov, whose contract expires in two months, revealed no renewal proposal from the Ukrainian Football Association.
“I can say right now my contract is up in two months and I have no proposal… so let’s see in two months,” he said. “I don’t know if every fan is waiting for the answer, but I have always said I have a contract, we have one more match to come in that period. We will see in two months when my contract finishes.”
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