Viktor Gyokeres admits Sweden must be “almost perfect” to upset France in the World Cup Round of 32.
Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres has admitted his side must produce an almost flawless performance if they are to eliminate tournament favourites France in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
France head into Tuesday’s knockout clash in New Jersey as overwhelming favourites after a dominant group-stage campaign that saw Didier Deschamps’ men win all three matches. With Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele both scoring four goals each, Les Bleus have established themselves as one of the strongest contenders for the trophy.
Speaking from Sweden’s training base in Dallas, Arsenal forward Gyokeres acknowledged the scale of the challenge awaiting his team but insisted belief remains high within the squad despite their underdog status.
“We will have to be at our best,” Gyokeres said. “We have to do our defensive organisation almost perfect and then, of course, take the chances we will get.”
Sweden’s journey to the knockout rounds has been far from straightforward. They hammered Tunisia 5-1, suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands, and then secured qualification with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Japan after navigating the World Cup playoffs to reach the tournament.
Despite their inconsistent campaign, Gyokeres believes this World Cup has shown that reputations count for little once the knockout rounds begin. The striker pointed to several surprise results throughout the tournament as proof that disciplined teams can overcome stronger opponents on any given day.
“We have our confidence. We have to believe in ourselves,” he said. “We’ve seen in a lot of games this tournament that you can win games even though you play against the best teams. We might be the underdogs, but we still believe in ourselves.”
The Arsenal striker is also looking forward to an intriguing personal battle against club teammate William Saliba, who has been a key figure in France’s defence throughout the competition. Gyokeres admitted it will be a special occasion to share the pitch with his teammate, even if friendship will be put aside for 90 minutes.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him and playing against him. It’s going to be fun,” Gyokeres added, as Sweden prepare for what could be their toughest assignment of the tournament against a France side chasing another deep World Cup run.
