Gyokeres scored a brilliant hat-trick, helping Sweden beat Ukraine 3-1 to secure a place in the 2026 World Cup play-off final, where they will face Poland.
Sweden secured a convincing 3-1 victory over Ukraine in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup European play-offs, with Viktor Gyokeres shining brightly.
From the very first minutes, the Arsenal striker made his mark. In the 6th minute, Gyokeres capitalized on an opportunity to finish accurately, opening the scoring for Sweden. The early goal helped the Nordic team play confidently and control the game well for the remainder of the first half.
In the second half, Gyokeres continued to demonstrate his class. In the 51st minute, he completed his brace with a cool finish, before capping off a brilliant performance with a third goal in the 73rd minute, thus completing an impressive hat-trick.
Ukraine pushed forward in the final minutes and managed a consolation goal through Ponomarenko in the 90th minute, but it wasn't enough to change the course of the match.
This victory secured Sweden's place in the Group B final, where they will face Poland. In the other semi-final, Poland came from behind to beat Albania 2-1. Lewandowski opened the scoring in the 63rd minute before Zielinski sealed the victory, after Albania had taken the lead in the first half.
The final match between Sweden and Poland promises to be incredibly exciting.