Anthony Elanga scored Sweden's equaliser in the 62nd minute against Japan, then celebrated as if there was still work left to do. He later admitted he did not know the draw was enough to send Sweden through, which turned a routine qualification story into the night's best talking point.

Potter's amused verdict on Elanga

Graham Potter said Sweden had held a meeting before the game to go through the qualification scenarios. That did not stop Elanga from getting it wrong at full time. "That explains a few things," Potter said. "We couldn't have been clearer, but he was obviously thinking of something else. Bless him. I love him at the moment but, dear me."

Elanga's equaliser was his first World Cup goal, and it came in his third appearance at the tournament. He was active enough to matter in the game, but the bigger impact was the scene after the final whistle, when he slumped to the ground before learning Sweden had already done enough.

Alexander Isak then joined in with the teasing, while Potter also had praise for Viktor Gyökeres. He called Gyökeres "outstanding" and described him as "a back-to-goal centre forward", which tells you Sweden are not just leaning on one moment from one player.

Sweden's point and what comes next

The match ended Japan vs Sweden in a 1-1 draw, with both sides qualifying from Group F. For Sweden, the result was enough, even if Elanga briefly behaved as though the job was not finished.

Gyökeres' tournament numbers also back up Potter's trust in him, with 1 goal and 1 assist in 3 World Cup appearances. Isak has been just as central, with a 7.62 rating across his 3 appearances, and that gives Sweden a few different ways to hurt teams once the knockout stage starts.

The comedy of Elanga's reaction will probably get the most replay, but the draw itself matters more. Sweden are through, Potter looks comfortable with the structure, and Elanga has already handed them a story before the knockout rounds begin.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →