Viktor Gyokeres returns to Arsenal carrying significant momentum after scoring four goals across two playoff matches to send Sweden to the 2026 World Cup — and Mikel Arteta wants the club to benefit from it.
The Arsenal striker scored an 88th-minute winner against Poland on March 31 to seal a 3-2 victory in Stockholm, completing a playoff run that also included a hat-trick against Ukraine in the semifinal.
Sweden became the first nation to reach the World Cup via the Nations League pathway, having failed to win any of their six matches in the European Qualifiers group stage. European Qualifiers
Arteta acknowledged the weight of Gyokeres’ contribution on the international stage. “Yes, and especially the importance of those goals. I can imagine how much it means for him to get his country over the line and the position they were in to be able not to play the World Cup. He was full of energy and confidence, and that’s great,” the Arsenal manager said.
Sweden will face the Netherlands, Japan, and Tunisia in Group F at the 2026 World Cup.
