FIFA International Friendly | Thursday, 4 June 2026 Friends Arena (Strawberry Arena), Stockholm, Sweden | Referee: TBC
Sweden had it. Right up until the 90th minute plus four, they had it.
Then Giorgos Masouras got on the end of a cross from Charalampos Kostoulas and steered it in from close range with his left foot. Two-two. The Greece bench went wild. The home crowd stood in stunned silence. Sweden’s final warm-up before the World Cup ended with a gut punch nobody wanted.
Not the send-off Graham Potter was looking for.
Greece took the lead in the 10th minute. Kostas Tsimikas stepped up to take a corner, played it short to Christos Tzolis, received it back and whipped in a delivery that caused chaos. The ball ended up in the net. Tsimikas with the goal, Tzolis with the assist. Sweden had barely touched it. The home crowd went quiet immediately.
The Greeks were the better side for a long stretch after that. They pressed well, kept Sweden pinned back and created through Tsimikas down the left and Augustine Tetteh in the forward line. Panagiotis Retsos picked up a yellow card in the 19th minute for a foul that summed up how frustrated Greece were getting when Sweden started finding their feet. Kourbelis had an effort from distance. Mavropanos headed at goal from a set piece. Victor Gyökeres worked and worked at the other end but found nothing before the break. Benjamin Nygren had Sweden’s best first-half chance, a shot in the 21st minute that went wide.
Then just before half-time, Gyökeres equalised. Free kick from around 22 yards. Vlachodimos had no chance. Clean, flat, unstoppable. 1-1. Sweden back in it on the stroke of half-time. That was the boost the home crowd needed heading into the dressing room.
The second half changed tone completely. Potter made his substitutions and Sweden came out sharper. They sat deeper, hit Greece on the counter and started causing real problems with their pace. Gustaf Nilsson — who came on as a substitute — scored in the 74th minute to put Sweden 2-1 up. A goal that felt like it would win the game. The home crowd was on its feet and the World Cup excitement was building all over again.
Sweden managed it. Kept their shape. Greece had the ball more but could not find a way through the defensive block. Lucas Bergvall, Ayari and others came on in the second half and the team looked increasingly comfortable. Ninety minutes arrived. Three, maybe four minutes of added time.
Then Kostoulas got down the line and crossed. Masouras was at the back post. 2-2. That was it.
Potter said afterwards the draw was disappointing but the key takeaways from the week were positive. That is what managers say. His players will know how close they were to a winning send-off.
For Sweden the bigger picture is this — they qualified for the World Cup in dramatic fashion, Potter appointed in October 2025 after a terrible start under Tomasson that saw them finish bottom of their qualifying group. A play-off run, some big results, and here they are. This was only their second World Cup in five editions. The fans wanted a win before flying to North America. They did not get one. 2-2 against Greece is not the ending anyone planned.
Gyökeres looked sharp though. That free kick was top quality. Nilsson’s contribution off the bench is a real option. Sweden have goals in them and that matters when the tournament starts for real.
Greece go home without a result that quite captures what they showed on the pitch. They were excellent in the first half — organised, dangerous from wide areas, physical when they needed to be. Tsimikas at 30 is still one of the best left backs in this squad and his delivery from corners and free kicks is a constant threat. The Nations League is next for them. They will want to build on this performance.
Two teams. Two completely different reasons for being here on a Thursday evening in Stockholm. One is going to the World Cup. One is not. The draw felt right for the football that was played. Felt wrong for the moment it happened.
For live international scores and World Cup coverage, visit fawanews.org.uk. Full squads, fixtures and group tables at the official FIFA World Cup website.
Sweden 2-2 Greece FIFA International Friendly | Thursday, 4 June 2026 Friends Arena, Stockholm | Attendance: 47,021
Goals: Kostas Tsimikas 10′ (Greece, assist Tzolis), Viktor Gyökeres 45’+2′ (Sweden, free kick), Gustaf Nilsson 74′ (Sweden), Giorgos Masouras 90’+4′ (Greece, assist Kostoulas)
Sweden (4-3-3): Zetterström; Johansson, Danielson, Olsson, Augustinsson; Svanberg, Cajuste, Ayari; Nygren, Gyökeres, Isak Subs used: Nilsson, Bergvall, Ekdal, Johansson C
Greece (4-2-3-1): Vlachodimos; Vagiannidis, Mavropanos, Retsos, Tsimikas; Kourbelis, Mouzakitis; Tzolis, Bakasetas, Masouras; Tetteh Subs used: Kostoulas, Douvikas, Kyriakopoulos, Triantis
Half-time: 1-1
