Anthony Elanga made the headlines after Sweden’s final group game.
The Newcastle United winger had scored a cracking goal off the bench in the previous match and defeat against the Netherlands.
Anthony Elanga earning a first ever World Cup start against Japan in Sweden’s third group match.
With a 5-1 win and a 5-1 defeat, Sweden were on three points and a zero goal difference. This meant a point or better would guarantee progress to the last 32 and also a faint hope of topping the group if they could win and the Netherlands suffer a shock loss to Tunisia.
Japan took the lead with a 56th minute goal and Sweden suddenly now needing a goal.
It was Anthony Elanga who produced it out of nowhere. The ball played out to the Newcastle United winger on the right and he then cut inside and when faced with a packed defence, Elanga brilliantly curled the ball around the keeper and into the far bottom corner from over 20 yards out.
Fast forward to the final whistle, Anthony Elanga had just seen another very good effort on goal, this time denied by the opposition keeper, the Newcastle United winger as the game ended bizarrely falling to the floor and beating the ground in frustration.
The media universally reporting this as the goalscorer not realising that a point had been enough to guarantee Sweden were now in the knockout stages!
Anthony Elanga has though now revealed what was actually going through his head at that moment in time when speaking to BBC Sport.
Anthony Elanga on that final whistle moment: “My reaction after the Sweden and Japan game was a bit of disappointment but at the same time a bit of joy. Because obviously I wanted to win the game, I wanted to win the game. Of course I got told during the game that one point was enough [to qualify for the last 32]. But I’m a winner of course, I want to win every single game and I wanted us to get some rhythm and momentum ready for the next round. But at the end of the day, one point was enough and we are all happy with that.”
BBC Sport journalist asks: “But when you were sitting there, did you know that Sweden qualified?”
Anthony Elanga: “I knew, I knew we were qualified. I knew we were qualified, but I just wanted to win the game because I’m a winner and I wanted to score more goals.”