Viktor Gyökeres shines as Sweden draws with Greece before World Cup
Viktor Gyökeres has taken his club form straight onto the international stage, bending in a superb free-kick as Sweden drew 2-2 with Greece in their final warm-up before the 2026 World Cup.
In Stockholm, the Swedish striker again looked every inch the focal point of Janne Andersson’s attack. This time, he showcased his dead-ball precision. With Sweden trailing, Gyökeres stepped up in the second half and curled a measured free-kick beyond the Greek wall and goalkeeper, a strike that underlined both confidence and technique.
Greece had drawn first blood. Liverpool defender Kostas Tsimikas opened the scoring for the visitors, silencing the home crowd and briefly tilting the night away from the hosts. Gyökeres’ equaliser snapped Sweden back into rhythm, and the pressure began to build.
The turnaround arrived when Gustaf Nilsson nudged Sweden in front, rewarding a spell of sustained control and giving the hosts the platform to close out their World Cup send-off with a win. But the night refused to follow the script. Deep into stoppage time, in the 95th minute, Giorgos Masouras struck for Greece, snatching a draw and draining some of the gloss from Sweden’s farewell, even if the performance of their leading striker offered plenty of encouragement for the weeks ahead.
Merino wears the armband as Spain held in A Coruña
Across the continent in A Coruña, Spain also signed off in front of their own supporters with a 1-1 draw, this time against fellow World Cup qualifiers Iraq.
La Roja started with control and incision. Ferran Torres broke the deadlock, finishing after a neat set-up from Dani Olmo to give Spain the lead their early dominance deserved. Iraq refused to fold. Merchas Doski seized on a lapse, catching goalkeeper Joan Garcia off guard to level the match and jolt the home side.
The second half became an exercise in rhythm and rotation. On 68 minutes, Mikel Merino entered the fray in place of Alex Baena. As the game wore on, the midfielder took the captain’s armband, a small but notable marker of his growing stature within the squad. The contest itself drifted into stalemate, chances thinning out as both managers protected legs and experimented with combinations.
Spain now leave home soil behind. Next stop: Mexico, where they will face Peru in Puebla in their final test before the tournament begins in earnest.
O’Neill steps up as Northern Ireland debutant
Away from the World Cup build-up, an 18-year-old from Hale End enjoyed a landmark night of his own.
Ceadach O’Neill, who has been on the fringes of first-team squads this season and has caught the eye in Premier League 2 and the UEFA Youth League, made his senior debut for Northern Ireland in a 1-0 win over Guinea.
At the Estadio Municipal de la Linea de la Concepción in Cadiz, Tom Atcheson provided the decisive moment, scoring the only goal of the game. The spotlight, though, also fell on O’Neill. Introduced in the 64th minute for Isaac Price, the winger finally stepped onto the international stage he has been edging towards all campaign.
For Northern Ireland, it was a narrow victory. For O’Neill, it was a doorway.
The teenager may not have to wait long for his next major test. Northern Ireland now travel to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille to face France, a meeting that could pit the debutant against one of his club’s established stars and offer an early glimpse of how quickly his rise might accelerate.
