Rise of a Football God
Chapter 525: Round of 32; Sweden vs Morocco

Chapter 525: Round of 32; Sweden vs Morocco

The next day...

With USA vs Australia already played on July 4th, Sweden vs Morocco became the only game scheduled for July 5th.

[FIFA World Cup 2026 – Round of 32]

[Match 13: Sweden vs Morocco]

[Venue: MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, USA]

[Date: July 5th, 2026]

[Kick-off: 20:00 local time]

[Referee: Clement Turpin (France)]

There were over 75,000 fans present at the MetLife in New Jersey, USA to watch the showdown between Sweden and Morocco.

Blue and yellow clashed with red and green in a carnival of culture.

The weather? It was cool and breezy on the night, perfect for 90 minutes of high-stakes action.

The game was never going to be normal.

Sweden had scored 8 goals in the group stage; 4 of them by the brilliant Viktor Gyokeres, their breakout hero.

Morocco? The resilient semifinalists of 2022, back with vengeance and structure, powered by a midfield trio made of steel and silk remained a firm contender with fair chances of going deep in the tournament.

What unfolded at the MetLife was a war of wits, waves of emotion, and a final act for the ages.

Sweden started in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Robin Olsen in goal, while ahead of him stood the defensive quadruple of Krafth, Lindelof who captained the Swedish side, Hien, and Augustinsson.

In midfield was the duo of Cajuste and Svanberg, while the creative attackers were Kulusevski, Forsberg, and Alexander Isak.

Leading the line for the Swedish players was Viktor Gyokeres as the striker.

As for Morocco, they started in a classic 4-3-3, Yassin Bounou starting in goal while ahead of him was the defensive quadruple of Achraf Hakimi, Saiss, Aguerd, and Mazraoui.

In midfield was the tenacious trio of Sofyat Amrabat, Ounahi, and Amallah, while the forward trio comprised Hakim Ziyech, En-Nesyri, and Boufal.

FWEEEE!

The game started and both teams made a statement in the game immediately.

Both teams came out roaring.

Then... as early as the 6th minute, Morocco broke the deadlock through Hakim Ziyech, their creative attacker.

From nothing, Morocco struck.

Ziyech curled a worldie into the top corner from 25 yards out, leaving the MetLife stunned. Silence from Swedish fans, roars from the red wall.

1-0 Morocco.

Sweden responded by pinning Morocco deeper to defend.

Kulusevski and Alexander Isak overloaded the right, running the opposition left back ragged, linking up like childhood friends.

And then...

BOOM!

Sweden struck through Viktor Gyokeres in the 22nd minute.

It Forsberg corner... A monstrous leap... then Bang! Bullet header into the roof of the net.

1-1.

The crowd was now fully alive.

But the drama was not yet over.

In the 38th minute of the game, Sofiane Boufal turned it around for the Moroccans, giving them the lead for the second time in the game.

It was absolute magic as the left winger weaved between two defenders, dropped a shoulder, and curled it past Olsen’s fingertips.

2-1 Morocco.

The halftime whistle couldn’t come fast enough for Sweden.

The tension only increased during halftime. When the players came out of the tunnel for the 2nd half, the tension in the stadium climbed to a climax.

And then, it started.

FWEEE!

The battle between both nations continued.

Sweden worked and hustled like desperate men.

Their hard work paid off. They didn’t have to wait too long as in the 53rd minute of the game, Alexander Isak wrote his name on the scoresheet.

It was brilliant footwork from the Newcastle United man as he received the ball from Kulusevski, beat Siass, and toe-poked under Bounou.

2-2.

The stadium literally melted.

This game refused to bow down.

That goal only made the tension rise between both nations and fanbases.

The situation on the pitch also became tighter.

In the 66th minute, Yassine Bounou made an incredible double save. First, he stopped a Forsberg curler, then reacted immediately to deny Gyokeres on the rebound, preventing him from getting his brace.

Elite from the Moroccan goalkeeper.

In the 75th minute, a penalty shout by Morocco was denied.

Ziyech went down under contact from Augustinsson, but VAR said no. The bench exploded.

And then in the 83rd minute, Sweden came close again through Kulusevski. His rocket from outside the box rattled the frame. It looked destined.

Then came stoppage time...

The tension was a pressure cooker now in the stadium as both nations prepared for extra time.

And yet, this was when he singlehandedly turned the game on its head.

The golden boy delivered again! Viktor Gyokeres, with his brace, and a stunning GOAL to give Sweden the all-important lead again.

Isak found him with a perfect cutback. Gyokeres took one touch to orient himself and simply blasted into the roof of the net without looking back.

BAM!

3-2 Sweden.

BOOM!

Madness... chaos... euphoria in the stadium.

Swedish fans went mad in celebrations, turning the stadium into a cauldron of noise as they expressed their joy.

They were leading in stoppage time. Surely it was over now.

But Morocco flung everything forward, even Bounou on a corner, showing just how desperate they was. But it all ended in heartbreak.

A desperate Morocco failed to get the equalizer that they so desperately needed.

FWEEE!

The game came to an end, leading to an explosion of contrasting emotions in the stadium as Swedish fans celebrated excitedly while lots of Moroccan fans broke down in tears, unable to deal with the game result.

[FULL-TIME: Sweden 3-2 Morocco]

Sweden, through fire and fury, punched their ticket to the Round of 16.

Morocco, brave and brilliant, bowed out with heads held high.

And of course, with his incredible all-round performance and his clutch moment in front of goal, resulting in a haul of 2 goals and 1 assist, including 6 shots, Viktor Gyokeres won the man of the match award.

"He’s not just in form," the commentator said, raving about him. "He’s writing his own legend".

By the end of the game, Janne Anderson, the Sweden coach said his mind.

"We don’t flinch. That’s Sweden. That’s Viktor".

Gyokeres also faced the media in the post-match interview.

"It’s not just about goals. It’s about moments. I live for these".

Walid Regragui, the Moroccan coach also said his piece before the media.

"One moment decided the game. But this team made our people proud again, I believe".