Victor Lindelof missed out on wild post-match celebrations after Sweden qualified for the World Cup
SOLNA, SWEDEN - MARCH 31: Victor Lindelof of the Sweden national team reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs match between Sweden and Poland at Strawberry Arena on March 31, 2026 in Solna, Sweden. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)
Victor Lindelof missed Sweden's dressing room celebrations(Image: Sebastian Frej, Getty Images)
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Victor Lindelof missed Sweden’s initial dressing room World Cup celebrations but made up for it by partying all night long at a nightclub.
Viktor Gyokeres’ 88th-minute goal against Poland in Sweden's final qualifier sealed their place at this summer’s World Cup on Tuesday. Aston Villa star Lindelof captained his nation for the full 90 minutes of the historic occasion and revelled in the jubilant scenes at the final whistle.
Yet, he was prevented from celebrating with his team-mates in the dressing room, where they drenched Sweden's Prime Minister with champagne. That’s because doping control officers took him to one side in the tunnel for one of their customary checks.
Lindelof missed the entirety of the post-match scenes and admitted he wasn’t even able to enjoy a celebratory beer. However, the 31-year-old made up for lost time, having been seen carrying two beers when arriving at the team hotel and later led Sweden’s celebrations at a nightclub into the early hours of the morning.
Gyokeres had vowed in his post-match interview to follow up the historic moment by "partying like never before". And the players did exactly that.
Sweden’s heroes first returned to their hotel and were greeted by loved ones. They changed into going out clothes, ranging from hoodies to designer jackets, and hopped into minibuses that took them to Stureplan - a lively public square in central Stockholm.
Lindelof, a veteran of the national team, was seen carrying a Sweden flag into the exclusive V nightclub, which the players entered via a garage at Sturecompagniet.
Lindelof had described the beers he had after last week’s win over Ukraine as a "few quick calories". He went one step further on Tuesday night, with the former Manchester United star's wife later posting a selfie on her Instagram story in bed, suggesting that the players went to bed sometime after 4am.
Viktor Lindelof in bed
Lindelof led the nightclub celebrations(Image: majanilssonlindelof)
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He said ahead of the celebrations: "There will probably be a lot of good drinking, a little dancing and then we'll see where it leads us. I'm captain so I would probably solve that somehow but I think we have some other younger people who are on that ball.
"I'm pretty good at dancing, give me a few units and I'll be strong. I'm definitely not the first to leave, I'm usually the last. I've been to a few and had some good parties but the young people can say what they want and I'll be able to fix it a bit depending on what they want to do."
Midfielder Besfort Zeneli echoed his sentiments, telling Sportbladet: "I don’t think the club will be too happy about this interview but there will be no sleep tonight."
Reflecting on the champagne-fuelled dressing room scenes, Zeneli added: "They went wild in there. Everyone was almost sprayed. I survived. I tried to hide pretty well behind people."
Lindelof said about missing out: "When I came back, after managing to go to the bathroom, the floor in there was pretty wet. It looked like they were having a good time.
"I didn't even get to drink beer, which is unbelievable. But it still went pretty well, I got over it pretty quickly. It's not the most fun thing in the world, you want to go in and celebrate with the team."
Viktor Gyokeres stepping off Sweden's team bus
Arsenal's Gyokeres scored the winner to take Sweden to the World Cup
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Braga’s Gustaf Lagerbielke had sprayed Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson with champagne. Gustav Lundgren took a victory sip from his beer bottle during his own post-match interview before saying: "It tastes good. It’s fun to celebrate. I’m keen to start the celebrations."
Zeneli, when asked about who would lead the party, confirmed: "Lindelof maybe. He’s the most experienced. He should know a little. He probably knows how and what we should do. I believe in him."
Tottenham's Lucas Bergvall acknowledged they had a long night ahead, and when asked whether the squad would be given the next day off, replied: "Yes, I think so. I hope so."
Gyokeres had already netted a breathtaking hat-trick last Thursday against Ukraine, setting up a World Cup play-off final showdown against Poland in Stockholm.
With the tie seemingly destined for extra-time, Gyokeres once again emerged as the saviour in front of the home crowd, netting an 88th-minute winner following a goalmouth scramble. His strike sparked wild celebrations both on the pitch and in the stands, as he rescued the day once more for Graham Potter.
Sweden's win over Poland places them in Group F at the World Cup, alongside the Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia. Lindelof and his teammates will kick off their tournament campaign against Tunisia on June 15.
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