2026 World Cup: Gyökeres Urges Sweden To Be ‘Almost Perfect’ Against France

Sweden striker Viktor Gyökeres has admitted his side will need an almost flawless defensive display if they are to shock tournament favourites France in their 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 clash.

Sweden booked their place in the knockout stage after finishing third in Group F [one of the best third-placed teams) and now face one of the strongest teams left in the competition.

Speaking from Sweden’s training camp in Dallas, Gyökeres acknowledged the scale of the challenge but insisted the Blågult have every reason to believe they can pull off an upset.

Despite an inconsistent group-stage campaign that saw Sweden hammer Tunisia 5-1 before suffering a 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands, the Arsenal forward said surprise results throughout the tournament have strengthened the squad’s belief.

“We will have to be at our best, we have to do our defensive organisation almost perfect and then of course to take the chances we will get,” he said.

“We have our confidence. I think we have to believe in ourselves.

“We’ve seen in a lot of games this tournament that you can win games (as underdogs). You can do well even though you play against the best teams.

“Of course we might be the underdogs, but we still believe in ourselves.”

Gyökeres is also set for a reunion with Arsenal team-mate William Saliba when Sweden face the French defenders.

“I’m looking forward to see him and to play against him, it’s gonna be fun,” he said.

France head into the tie in impressive form after winning all three group matches. Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele have each scored four goals, showing why Les Bleus are among the leading contenders for the world title.