Sweden squandered a winning position in the 95th minute as Greece earned a 2-2 draw in Solna, leaving Graham Potter frustrated by his side’s defensive lapses just days before their 2026 World Cup opener. Georgios Masouras turned in Charalampos Kostoulas‘ cross in stoppage time to cancel out what had looked like a winning goal for the hosts.
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Sweden had all the ingredients for a positive send-off: an elite striking partnership getting minutes together, a comeback from an early deficit, and a substitute making an immediate impact. The late concession erased all of it. Potter‘s side has now conceded five goals across two warm-up matches and 13 goals in his six games in charge, keeping zero clean sheets. The last time Sweden went 90 minutes without conceding was a 2-0 friendly win over Hungary on 6th June last year.
“We have to get better there, it’s too cheap,” Potter said of his defence. “We can talk tactics all day, but if you give the ball away the way we did today, the opponents get dangerous chances.”
The back line was missing captain Victor Lindelof, who is expected to return directly for Sweden‘s opening World Cup match against Tunisia on 15th June. The Aston Villa defender’s starting spot appears secure, but Potter indicated competition for places elsewhere remains open with over a week of training still to go before the tournament begins.
“I have a lot of positions in mind, but there is still time and space. We have over a week of training until the opener. It is a balance between having an environment where there is competition and, at the same time, needing stability.” — Graham Potter
Ali Answers the Critics
The selection of Taha Ali in the 26-man squad drew scrutiny, with the Malmö winger picked ahead of LaLiga pair Williot Swedberg and Roony Bardghji. His only previous cap had come in a January 2024 friendly against Estonia, and he went unused when recalled for the play-offs.
Within minutes of coming off the bench, Ali delivered a direct, pacy dribble down the left wing before cutting back for Gustaf Nilsson to tap in and make it 2-1. That goal followed a free-kick from birthday boy Viktor Gyokeres that had cancelled out Kostas Tsimikas‘ opener for Greece.
“I was in shock, not because of what he did, because we’ve seen that before and we’ve seen that in training. But it was very impressive to see such a performance. It’s like he’s been with us for years. We were very excited on the bench.” — Alexander Isak
Isak was among nine players withdrawn just after the hour mark. Potter was equally direct in his assessment of Ali‘s impact — “Incredible substitute appearance! He adds something that few other players do” — though he stopped short of confirming whether the 27-year-old had done enough to start against Tunisia.
For Ali himself, the performance was about building credibility with his coach.
“I wanted to create trust in the coach so that he knows what he’s getting from me. It’s clear what kind of player I am. I just want to do my thing.” — Taha Ali
Elanga Given All-Clear After Hospital Visit
In a physical match against the former European champions, Viktor Gyokeres, Benjamin Nygren, and Anthony Elanga all picked up knocks. Elanga was taken to hospital as a precaution, but scans revealed no damage.
“It was knee-to-knee with one of their players. But I’m not worried. I’ve been tested and it feels good. Of course you get worried, but it feels good.” — Anthony Elanga
Nygren offered a more straightforward self-assessment: “I can walk, move and stand on one leg and all that. It feels okay.” With no serious injury concerns heading into the tournament, Potter‘s primary challenge remains tightening a defence that continues to give up goals at an uncomfortable rate. Follow TipsGG for full coverage of Sweden at the 2026 World Cup.
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