Anthony Elanga is Sweden's hero, although unaware of the promotion

 On Thursday night, Anthony Elanga became Sweden's hero by scoring a goal to advance to the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup. A draw against Japan was enough to put Sweden among the best third-placed teams, although Elanga didn't know it. After an earlier victory over Tunisia and a defeat against the Netherlands, Sweden had three points with a zero goal balance. Thanks to a point from the match against Japan, Sweden finished third in Group F. Four points combined with a good goal difference guaranteed them a place in the next round, unlike Paraguay who also had four points but a negative goal difference (-2). Elanga became the hero by scoring the equalizer after an hour. Despite this, after the match he admitted that he did not know that his goal would guarantee promotion. "I was shouting: 'Come on, we have to attack!'" laughed Elanga, a Newcastle United player. "I didn't realize we had already advanced, but I'm extremely happy." Elanga noticed that his teammates did not share his offensive intentions. "I tried, but they seemed to be shouting something at me." Sweden coach Graham Potter reacted to the situation with humor. "That explains a lot. We talked about it clearly, but he understood it differently. I love this boy," he said with a smile. Victor Lindelöf defended Elanga. "Sometimes during such meetings you can get lost in thought." His friend Alexander Isak was less understanding. "I asked him after the match if it was true. Unfortunately, it's true..." said the striker, suggesting he was saying it with tongue in cheek. "He was a little frustrated at the end of the game, so I asked him about it. Now I understand why." --- ## Related Articles 1. [World Cup 2026](https://harimaugoal.com/ms/news/piala-dunia-2026-klasemen-penjaring-gol-terkini-messi-teratas-tiga-pemain-utama-mengintai-belakang) 2. [Cape Verde's Historic World Cup Journey Inspires Fans](https://pitchpulsemedia.com/en/news/cape-verdes-historic-world-cup-journey-inspires-fans)