Viktor Gyokeres delivered a stunning hat-trick to lead Sweden to a 3-1 victory over Ukraine on Thursday, securing a place in the next round of World Cup qualification. The Arsenal forward opened the scoring with a close-range finish in the sixth minute in Valencia, then extended Sweden’s lead early in the second half with a well-executed goal.
In a significant development, Gyokeres earned and converted a penalty on the 73rd minute to complete his treble and seal the win for Graham Potter’s side. Ukraine managed a late consolation through Matvii Ponomarenko’s header, but it was not enough to change the outcome.
Notably, this marked Sweden’s first victory in an otherwise disappointing qualifying campaign, yet it propelled them to the brink of only their second World Cup appearance in two decades. Potter described the result as “a huge step forward for the team,” praising the collective effort and Gyokeres’ outstanding performance.
Sweden had accumulated just two points from six matches in their qualifying group, which featured Switzerland, Kosovo, and Slovenia. However, their strong Nations League performances earned them another opportunity to qualify. The Swedes will now return to Stockholm to face Poland, who secured a 2-1 win over Albania, next Tuesday. The winner of that match will claim a spot in the expanded 48-team tournament scheduled to take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Meanwhile, Ukraine, forced to host their home fixtures at neutral venues since the Russian invasion four years ago, had hoped to inspire their war-affected nation by reaching their first World Cup since 2006. Instead, they faced the disappointment of another play-off exit, having also missed out to Wales in the previous edition.
Ukraine’s coach Serhiy Rebrov expressed his belief in his team’s effort throughout the match, noting they created scoring opportunities but were undone by Sweden’s early goals. He acknowledged Gyokeres’ decisive impact, calling him one of Europe’s top strikers.
