Sweden were denied victory in their final match before the 2026 FIFA World Cup after Greece struck deep into stoppage time to secure a 2-2 draw in an international friendly in Stockholm on 4 June.
The hosts appeared set for a morale-boosting win after coming from behind, only for Giorgos Masouras to score in the closing moments and spoil the celebrations at the Strawberry Arena.
Greece took the lead in the first half through Kostas Tsimikas, putting the visitors ahead before Sweden responded after the break.
Viktor Gyokeres, who only joined up with the national team on 3 June following Arsenal’s Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint Germain, made an immediate impact. The striker levelled in the 53rd minute when his free kick took a deflection off Vangelis Pavlidis and found the net.
Both managers made several changes around the hour mark as they continued preparations for the World Cup.
Sweden looked to have completed the turnaround in the 69th minute when substitute Taha Ali set up Gustav Nilsson, who calmly finished to put the hosts 2-1 ahead.
The home supporters were already anticipating a winning send-off before Masouras struck in stoppage time to rescue a draw for Greece and deny Sweden a perfect conclusion to their preparations.
Despite the disappointment, Sweden will take positives from another encouraging performance as they continue building momentum ahead of the tournament in North America.
Sweden begin their World Cup campaign on 14 June against Tunisia in Group F. They will then face the Netherlands and Japan as they attempt to reach the knockout stages.
Greece, who failed to qualify for the tournament, produced a resilient display and left Stockholm with a deserved result after fighting back until the final whistle.
