Viktor Gyökeres Levels Sweden in World Cup Warm-up
Viktor Gyökeres has carried his club form straight into the international arena, bending in a trademark free-kick as Sweden drew 2-2 with Greece in their final warm-up before the 2026 World Cup.
On a cool night in Stockholm, the Swedish striker needed little invitation to take centre stage. Greece had struck first, Liverpool defender Kostas Tsimikas arriving to open the scoring for the visitors and briefly hush the home crowd.
The response came after the break. Gyökeres, already brimming with confidence after a prolific domestic campaign, stood over a dead ball and shaped it to perfection, curling his effort beyond the wall and into the corner to drag Sweden level. It was the kind of finish that turns a friendly into a statement.
The game opened up from there. Gustaf Nilsson pounced to put Sweden in front, tilting the contest in their favour as the clock ticked into added time. Yet Greece refused to fold. Deep into the 95th minute, Giorgos Masouras struck to snatch a draw, a late sting that denied Sweden a winning send-off but did little to dampen the sense that Gyökeres is arriving at this World Cup in ruthless mood.
Merino wears the armband as Spain sign off at home
Across in A Coruña, Spain also wrapped up their home preparations with a 1-1 draw, this one against fellow World Cup qualifiers Iraq.
La Roja started with intent. Ferran Torres finished off a neat move after being picked out by Dani Olmo, a sharp, composed strike that underlined Spain’s early control. Iraq refused to play the role of sparring partner. Merchas Doski caught goalkeeper Joan Garcia off guard, levelling the match and injecting edge into what had looked like a comfortable Spanish evening.
The second half turned into a test of rhythm and patience. Changes came, and with them a small but telling detail: Mikel Merino entered for Alex Baena on 68 minutes and later took the captain’s armband. It was a quiet nod to his standing in this evolving Spain side, even on a night when the scoreboard refused to budge.
Spain now leave home comforts behind and head across the Atlantic to Mexico, where Peru await in Puebla for their final tune-up before the serious business begins.
O’Neill’s first cap: a Hale End graduate steps up
Away from the World Cup build-up, there was a landmark moment for Hale End product Ceadach O’Neill, who made his senior debut for Northern Ireland in a 1-0 win over Guinea.
The winger, just 18, has already brushed the edges of first-team football this season and impressed in Premier League 2 and the UEFA Youth League. In Cádiz, at the Estadio Municipal de la Línea de la Concepción, he finally crossed the line into full international football.
With Northern Ireland holding a slender lead courtesy of Tom Atcheson’s strike, O’Neill came on for Isaac Price in the 64th minute. It was a brief cameo, but an important one: a first cap, a first taste of the tempo and tension at senior level, secured in a hard-fought victory.
The challenge now sharpens. Northern Ireland travel to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille next week, where O’Neill could find himself facing another of his club’s rising stars in a meeting with France. For a teenager fresh from his debut, there are few better stages on which to prove he belongs.
