Sweden’s faint hopes of qualifying for the World Cup were all but extinguished on Tuesday night as they lost 1-0 to Kosovo in Gothenburg. Fisnik Asllani’s first-half strike gave Kosovo a remarkable double over the 2018 quarter-finalists, boosting their own chances of securing at least a play-off place.
The Swedes, featuring £125m striker Alexander Isak alongside Viktor Gyökeres, remain rooted to the bottom of Group B with just one point. Isak, who played the full 90 minutes after doing the same in Friday’s 2-0 defeat to Switzerland, failed to find the target as he continues his return to fitness following his summer move from Newcastle to Liverpool. Group leaders Switzerland dropped their first points of the campaign with a goalless draw in Slovenia.
In Group D, France also dropped their first points, drawing 2-2 with Iceland in Reykjavik. Didier Deschamps’ side needed a win to seal their place in the finals, but fell behind to Victor Palsson’s 39th-minute goal. Goals from Christopher Nkunku and Jean-Philippe Mateta put France ahead, only for Kristian Hlynsson to equalise in the 70th minute. Ukraine’s 2-1 win over Azerbaijan meant a French victory would not have been enough anyway.
Elsewhere, Slovakia stayed level on points with Germany at the top of their group after a 2-0 win over Luxembourg, while North Macedonia were held to a 1-1 draw by Kazakhstan in Wales’s group.
