Sporting CP signed him in 2023 in a club-record transfer worth an initial €20 million. With them, he won two back-to-backPrimeira Liga titles in2024 and2025, winning theBola de Prata as the league's top scorer, thePlayer of the Year award in both seasons and theGerd Müller Trophy, in his second season, given to the highest-scoring footballer in the previous season. In July 2025, he signed for Arsenal in a transfer worth €63.5 million (£54.8 million).
Gyökeres represented Sweden at various youth levels and was the joint-top scorer at the2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. He made his senior debut in 2019.
Gyökeres signed forBrommapojkarna fromIFK Aspudden-Tellus in 2013, at the age of 14.[9] He progressed through the youth teams and made his senior debut two years later.[10] He scored his first goals for the club on 20 August 2015, netting a brace in a 3–0Svenska Cupen win overIF Sylvia.[10] The following year, with the club having suffered relegation the season before, Gyökeres scored seven goals to help Brommapojkarna secure promotion back into theSuperettan.[11] He later helped Brommapojkarna into the semi-finals of theSvenska Cupen when he scored the winning goal in the quarter finals against top division side,Elfsborg.[12] Brommapojkarna were unable to progress further, though, as they were beaten 4–0 byIFK Norrköping in the next round.[13]
On 6 September 2017, having scored 10 league goals at the time, Gyökeres signed a two-and-a-half-year contract withPremier League sideBrighton & Hove Albion with the deal to go through at the conclusion of theSuperettan season.[14][15] He ended the season with a return of 13 goals in 29 league appearances, including ahat-trick on the final day as Brommapojkarna secured promotion to theAllsvenskan as league champions.[16][17][18]
Brighton & Hove Albion
Gyökeres with Brighton in 2018
Gyökeres officially joined Brighton on 1 January 2018 and began training with the club'sunder-23 side.[16] He made his senior debut for the club on 28 August, starting in a 1–0EFL Cup defeat toSouthampton.[19] On 26 January 2019, Gyökeres made hisFA Cup debut coming on as a sub in a 0–0 draw at home toWest Bromwich Albion.[20]
In July 2019, he moved on loan to German second-tier sideSt. Pauli for the 2019–20 season.[21] On the opening day of theseason he made his debut coming on as a sub in a 1–1 away draw toArminia.[22] Gyökeres scored his first goal for St Pauli on 29 September scoring the second in a 2–0 home victory overSV Sandhausen.[23]
On 17 September 2020, Gyökeres scored his first goal for Brighton in a 4–0 victory againstPortsmouth in theEFL Cup.[24] On 2 October 2020, Gyökeres joinedEFL Championship sideSwansea City on loan for the remainder of the2020–21 season.[25] He made his debut a day later, coming on as a substitute in a 2–1 home win overMillwall.[26] He scored his first goal for the club on 9 January 2021, scoring the second in a 2–0 away win overStevenage sending Swansea through to the fourth round of theFA Cup.[27] He was recalled by Brighton on 14 January 2021.[28]
Coventry City
Gyökeres joinedCoventry City on loan on 15 January 2021.[29][30] He made his debut four days later starting and playing 59 minutes of the 3–0 away loss atReading.[31][32] He scored on his first appearance atSt Andrew's netting the first in an eventual 2–0 victory overSheffield Wednesday on 27 January, his first league goal in English football.[33]
He returned to Coventry City on a permanent deal on 9 July 2021, after signing a three-year contract.[34][35] Gyökeres scored in Coventry's opening game of the2021–22 Championship season on 8 August, putting Coventry back level in an eventual 2–1 victory overNottingham Forest in Coventry's first home game since April 2019 after ground sharing withBirmingham City.[36] Gyökeres scored 17 goals in 45 league appearances for Coventry in the 2021–22 season.[37]
In the2022–23 Championship season, he was named as the player of the month in November after scoring four goals in four games, leading Coventry to four straight wins during that period.[38] Three goals and three assists saw him win the award for a second time in March 2023.[39] Overall he scored 21 goals in 46 appearances, making him the second highest scorer in the league that year. Coventry finished 5th in the table and narrowly missed out on promotion when they lost thePlayoff Final on penalties toLuton Town. Gyökeres scored his penalty.[40]
Sporting CP
On 13 July 2023, Gyökeres signed a five-year contract withPrimeira Liga sideSporting CP, who paid a club record transfer fee of €20 million (plus €4 million in bonuses) for him.[41][42] Coventry are also entitled to payment of 10–15% from a future transfer, and the release clause was set at €100 million.[43]
2023–24: Primeira Liga title, Bola de Prata and Player of the Year
On 12 August, he made his debut for the club, starting and scoring twice in a 3–2 league victory at home toVizela.[44] On 21 September, Gyökeres made his debut inEuropean competitions, starting and scoring in a 2–1 victory away atSturm Graz, in theUEFA Europa Leaguegroup stage.[45] On 26 October, he was shown the first ever red card of his club career, seven minutes into Sporting CP's visit toRaków Częstochowa in a UEFA Europa League group stage match.[46] On 2 November, on hisTaça da Liga debut, Gyökeres scored a hat-trick in a 4–2 home victory overFarense.[47] Ten days later, he scored in a 2–1 league loss away atlocal rivalsBenfica.[48] On 26 November, in hisTaça de Portugal debut, Gyökeres came on as a second-half substitute and scored Sporting's last goal in an 8–0 home rout overCampeonato de Portugal side Dumiense.[49] On 19 December, he scored and made an assist in a 2–0 league victory at home torivalsPorto.[50]
On 5 January 2024, Gyökeres provided four assists in a 5–1 league victory at home toEstoril.[51] On 17 March, he scored his first Primeira Liga hat-trick in a 6–1 victory overBoavista.[52] Between September and January, Gyökeres scored thirteen goals and provided six assists, being named the league's Player of the Month and Forward of the Month for five consecutive months. On 29 April, with Sporting two goals down, he scored a brace in the 87th and 88th minutes in a 2–2 draw away against Porto at theEstádio do Dragão to ensure Sporting stayed on top of the league table, five points ahead of rivals Benfica.[53][54] At the end of the month, Gyökeres was again named the league's Player of the Month and Forward of the Month.
On 5 May, Sporting mathematically secured their 20th Primeira Liga title, following Benfica's defeat toFamalicão,[55] and Gyökeres won theBola de Prata award, after he finished his first season at the club as thePrimeira Liga Top scorer with 29 goals, scoring a brace on Sporting's final league match of the season, againstChaves on 18 May,[56] to become the second Swedish player to win the top scorer award afterMats Magnusson in 1989–90.[57] He was also named thebest player of the Primeira Liga and was included in the Best XI.[58] On 28 May, two days after his appearance for the club in thePortuguese Cup final, Gyökeres underwent surgery on his left knee inLisbon.[59]
2024–25: Second consecutive league title, top scorer and departure
Gyökeres made his return from injury on 3 August 2024, assisting twice in the 4–3 loss to rivals Porto in the2024 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira.[60] He scored seven times in the four league matches that month, including a hat-trick in a 5–0 win away toFarense on 23 August. In the process, he became the league highest top scorer in the 21st century, after four matchweeks.[61] Gyökeres also earned the league's Player of the Month and Forward of the Month awards for the month of August.[62] On 17 September, in hisUEFA Champions League debut, he also scored his first goal in the competition, opening the scoring in their 2–0 victory overLille, being awarded man of the match, during the inaugural matchday of the newly formattedChampions League league phase.[63]
On 1 November, Gyökeres scored four goals in a single match during a 5–1 rout against Farense, with his first-half hat-trick tyingBeto Acosta's feat reached in the2000–01 campaign.[64] Four days later, he became the second Swedish player (afterZlatan Ibrahimović) and the first Sporting player to score ahat-trick in the Champions League era in a 4–1 victory overManchester City.[65][66] On 16 December, he was awarded the Golden Ball (Guldbollen), the annual award for best Swedish footballer in 2024.[67][68] On 11 January 2025, he scored a penalty in theTaça da Liga final, which Sporting eventually lost on penalties following extra time.[69] By the end of the month, Gyökeres suffered a hamstring injury, leading him to start only one league match during the months of January and February, and missing some crucial games including their final Champions League league phase match againstBologna and theknockout phase play-offs againstBorussia Dortmund, which Sporting ended up losing 3–0 on aggregate.[70]
On 3 March, Gyökeres scored twice in a 3–1 league victory against Estoril, and with those goals, he became the first player to have scored against every Primeira Liga team, he has faced in a single season.[71] After two months, he fully recovered from his injury, six days later, adding another brace againstCasa Pia by the same scoreline.[72][73] Hours before the match, it was reported that he made agentlemen's agreement with Sporting presidentFrederico Varandas that would allow him to leave in the summer.[74][75] At the end of the month, Gyökeres was named the Primeira Liga Player of the Month.[76] On 27 April, he scored four goals – his second time that season – in a 5–0 league win over Boavista. With his four goals, Gyökeres leapfroggedBas Dost's 93 goals to become the second-highest all-time foreign goalscorer in Sporting's history. He also became the first player to score more than 35 goals in the Primeira Liga sinceMário Jardel in the2001–02 season.[77]
On 10 May, in his 100th appearance for Sporting, he assistedFrancisco Trincão's goal in a draw against Benfica in the Lisbon derby, which secured Sporting's spot at the top of the league table.[78] Seven days later, he scored the winning goal in a 2–0 victory overVitória de Guimarães as Sporting won the league; this was Gyökeres's second consecutive Primeira League title.[79][80][81] With 39 goals scored, he finished the season as the Primeira Liga top scorer – for the second consecutive season – also winning his second Bola de Prata and the league's Player of the Year awards.[82][83] On 25 May, in theTaça de Portugal final against Benfica, he scored from the penalty spot in the 11th minute of added time, to tie the game 1–1 and send it to extra time. Sporting eventually won the match 3–1, winning their firstdomestic double since the2001–02 season.[84]
Following the end of the season, Frederico Varandas confirmed that Gyökeres could leave the club for less than his contractual release clause,[85] as the player was linked with a transfer to thePremier League.[86]
Arsenal
In late June,Arsenal made an initial bid for him of €55 million plus €10 million in bonuses, which was rejected.[87] The clubs continued negotiations in July,[88] with Gyökeres sacrificing part of his salary to facilitate the transfer. After Sporting rejected another bid from Arsenal, he failed to turn up to training for the pre-season, leading him to be disciplined by the club.[89][90][91][92] On 14 July, it was reported that Sporting and Arsenal had agreed a deal in principle for Gyökeres for €63.5 million (£54.8 million) plus €10 million (£8.6 million) in add-ons, with his agent also waiving his fee of the transfer to help facilitate the deal.[93] The transfer was delayed due to issues with add-ons to the deal.[94] On 25 July, it was reported that Gyökeres was to undergo a medical at Arsenal after being given permission to travel to England by Sporting.[95][96]
On 26 July 2025, Gyökeres signed for Arsenal for a fee of £55 million, potentially rising to £63.5 million with add-ons, signing a five-year deal with the club.[97][98] He said he wanted to join the club after losing to them with Sporting the previous season.[99] After his signing, some analysts and pundits, such asRio Ferdinand, questioned if Gyökeres would be successful for Arsenal, due to previous goal scoring struggles for other formerly prolific forwards moving from the Primeira Liga to the Premier League (such asMario Jardel), and Gyökeres' previous struggle to break into the first team at Brighton.[100] On 27 July, Gyökeres was unveiled to fans as an Arsenal player before a pre-season game againstNewcastle United in Singapore.[101] After being given squad number 14, previously worn byThierry Henry (Arsenal's all-time leading goalscorer), Gyökeres said that he did not want to be compared to Henry.[102]
2025–26: Debut season
Following pre-season, Arsenal managerMikel Arteta said that Gyökeres "will be 100% or more" ready for the opening game of the season.[103] On 17 August, Gyökeres started in the opening game atManchester United as Arsenal won 1–0, but he was subbed off in favor ofKai Havertz after just under an hour of play after failing to make much of an impact.[104] However, in the following match against newly promotedLeeds United, Gyökeres scored a brace, one of which was a penalty, as Arsenal defeated Leeds 5–0.[105] In September, he won theGerd Müller Trophy, part of theBallon d'Or Awards show, for scoring the most goals, 63 in total, for both European clubs and national teams, the previous season.[106]
After his first 10 Arsenal games, Gyökeres had scored 3 goals, all of which came in his first 4 games.[107] On 21 October, Gyökeres scored two goals in a 4–0 win againstAtlético Madrid in theChampions League league stage, opening up his European account for Arsenal and ending the goal drought.[108] Arteta later praised Gyökeres.[109][110][111]
In November 2025, Gyökeres suffered a hamstring injury.[112][113]
International career
Youth
Gyökeres played youth football for Sweden atunder-19 andunder-21 level.[114] Gyökeres featured regularly forSweden in the nation'squalification campaign for the2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship during which he scored twice, including the winning goal againstItaly to help Sweden qualify for the tournament for the first time.[11][115] He was then selected for the squad which took part in the tournament in Georgia and scored in all three of Sweden's group matches but was unable to help the nation progress to the knockout stages of the tournament. His return of three goals later saw him share the Golden Boot award withEngland'sBen Brereton andRyan Sessegnon, and theNetherlands'Joël Piroe.[116]
On 16 November 2024, he scored the first goal in a 2–1 victory againstSlovakia, helping Sweden clinch promotion toLeague B of theUEFA Nations League.[121] Three days later, Gyökeres scored four goals in a 6–0Nations League home win overAzerbaijan, completing his first international hat-trick in the process.[122]
Player profile
Style of play
Gyökeres is known for his physicality, pace, and stamina,[123][124] using his acceleration to exploit space behind defenders and his strength to act as a target man in aerial duels and ground battles.[125] He excels in both aerial duels and on the ground, using his strength and size to shield the ball and link play, often contributing by running the channels or delivering crosses, while also being capable of creating chances through sharp turns and flicks in one-on-one situations.[126][127] His pressing ability helps him disrupt opposition build-up and force defensive mistakes, helping also in set-piece situations.[128]
At Sporting CP's3–4–3 formation, he played as thecentral striker positioned at the highest point in the attack to lead the offensive line.[127] He often makes runs into the box and uses his physical presence to challenge defenders, pulling them out of position to create space for the wide forwards.[127] Gyökeres also drifts into the wings or half-spaces to help stretch the opposition's defense.[127][125] His link-up play involves holding the ball and distributing it to teammates, creating opportunities through his movement and positioning.[127][125]
Goal celebration
Gyökeres celebrates his goals by crossing both of his hands over his mouth; his former Coventry City teammateJosh Eccles said: "I think the celebration is because of the character in the film [Hannibal Lecter]. He eats people and Viktor destroys defences."[129][130][131] According to Swedish newspaperAftonbladet in November 2023, Gyökeres said: "There were lots of guesses... It was this [Hannibal Lecter] andBatman and everything possible, but nobody got it right. No one came close. Yes, it's a secret. I can clarify that, but not today."[132][133]
On 18 December 2023, in an interview forSport TV after a 2–0 league victory at home to rivals Porto, he was questioned about his usual goal celebration and answered: "I thought you'd ask me sooner. I've been here for a few months and no one has asked me that question... I'll tell you after the season if we win the league... no problem."[134][135] In June 2024, the Portuguese media claimed the goal celebrations were inspired byBane, a comics character, after Gyökeres has posted on Instagram a phrase attributed to Bane.[136]
Personal life
Gyökeres is ofHungarian descent through his paternal grandfather who emigrated to Sweden,[137] and is a dual citizen of Hungary and Sweden.[138] His father Stefan Gyökeres played football forIFK Östersund andStugun in the 1980s and 1990s.[139]
BroadcasterCMTV reported in January 2024 that Gyökeres was in a relationship with Portuguese actressInês Aguiar [pt].[140][141] He was formerly in a relationship with fellow professional footballerAmanda Nildén, whom he met in high school,[142] and who joined theBrighton women's team when Gyökeres moved to the club in 2018.[143]
Career statistics
Club
As of match played 1 November 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
^Sweden's Euro 2024 qualifying match away to Belgium was abandoned at half-time with the score 1–1 due to security reasons, aftertwo Swedish supporters were killed in a terrorist shooting in Brussels.[155] On 19 October 2023, UEFA decided that the half-time score would be considered final and the match would not be resumed.[156]
^abStrandman, Pelle (2 July 2017).""Stor chans att vi lyckas med det också..."" ["Great chance we'll succeed too ..."Gyúkers make a success in BP – he will do the same for Sweden in the U19-EM].Afonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved7 January 2018.
^abAppelquist, Peter (4 November 2017)."Seriesegern säkrad efter Gyökeres avskedsshow" [Series victory secured after Gykeres farewell show].IF Brommapojkarna (in Swedish). Retrieved5 January 2018.
^Vaza, Marco (12 November 2023)."Afinal, ainda há vida neste Benfica" [Turns out there is life in this Benfica] (in European Portuguese). Público. Retrieved13 November 2023.
_(Victor_Gyokeres).jpg)
Iceland
Norway
Azerbaijan
Estonia
Belgium
Portugal
Slovakia
