Worth The Money? Swedish Media Tear into Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak Over ‘Awful’ Performances in Kosovo Loss

Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres were both far from their best as Sweden suffered a shock 2-0 loss to Kosovo in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Monday.

Sweden’s hopes of securing a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup took another hit on Monday night after a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Kosovo in Pristina — a result that sparked scathing criticism from Swedish media and football pundits.

The spotlight fell heavily on star forwards Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres, who endured difficult nights despite their recent high-profile moves to the Premier League.

 Liverpool paid a staggering €150 million to lure Isak away from Newcastle this summer, while Arsenal splashed €68.5 million to sign Gyokeres from Sporting CP. 

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Yet, neither has translated their club valuation into convincing performances for the national team.

Isak Lacks Sharpness

Coach Jon Dahl Tomasson opted not to start Isak, citing the striker’s lack of match fitness after he missed Newcastle’s preseason and forced through his transfer to Liverpool. 

The forward came on for the final 18 minutes but made little impact, his most notable involvement being a heated altercation with Kosovo defender Fidan Aliti that resulted in both players being shown yellow cards.

“He had only completed three training sessions with us,” Tomasson explained after the game. “Starting him carried too much risk, given his physical condition.”

Gyokeres Draws Blanks

Unlike Isak, Gyokeres played the full 90 minutes but struggled to influence proceedings. Sweden fell behind in the first half after goals from Elvis Rexhbecaj (26’) and Vedat Muriqi (42’), and despite enjoying over 45 minutes to mount a comeback, the visitors looked blunt in attack. 

Even after Kosovo were reduced to 10 men in stoppage time following the dismissal of Leart Emërllahu, Sweden failed to create meaningful chances.

The reaction in Sweden was brutal. Leading daily Expressen described the performance as “Sweden’s huge fiasco,” while Sportbladet analyst Erik Niva called it “total darkness, a shameful performance… almost unprecedented given the circumstances.”

Former Arsenal and Sweden great Fredrik Ljungberg, speaking on Viaplay TV, was equally scathing: “It’s absolutely awful.”

The result leaves Sweden’s qualification hopes hanging by a thread, raising fresh questions about the team’s ability to harness the talent of its most expensive stars. With two defeats already in their group campaign, pressure is mounting on Tomasson to find solutions — and quickly.

For Isak and Gyokeres, the criticism is unlikely to subside until their international form starts to reflect their hefty transfer fees.