Svenska Cupen final: Mjallby 2-1 Hammarby
After both sides were perfect in the group stage, Mjallby cruised through to just their second final with comfortable wins over Malmo in the quarter-finals and GAIS in the semis, while Hammarby sneaked past rivals Djurgarden in the last eight before needing penalties to see off Sirius.
Allsvenskan runners-up Hammarby then gained revenge on MAIF with a 3-0 win on the opening day of the 2026 season, but both sides came into this final unbeaten in five matches.
A close encounter was therefore expected, but after a coming together between Paulos Abraham and Tony Miettinen with 17 minutes on the clock, it was to be a fiery encounter as well. Yet both players channelled their aggression positively in the next few minutes.
The league champions' good form looked to be continuing when they took the lead with the first shot on target in the 19th minute, as Miettinen's long ball forward was taken down superbly by Elliot Stroud, who then buried it in the bottom corner.
However, the Bajen response was almost immediate - just three minutes later, Hampus Skoglund split the Mjallby defence with an incisive pass to Abraham, who shrugged off challenges inside the area before slotting the ball past Robin Wallinder.
Hammarby had more of the ball in the first half but were punished for not making more of it, as they conceded again in added time. Jeppe Kjaer cut in from the right before rolling the ball through to Jacob Bergstrom, who dug the ball out from under his feet and fired it beyond Warner Hahn, ensuring all three shots on target before the break were scored.
The two goalkeepers finally made a save each in the second half as Kalle Karlsson's side began to dominate, with 70% possession for large periods, but they were not doing enough to break down a Mjallby side who lost Abdoulie Manneh to injury within minutes of the restart.
But Karl Marius Aksum's side managed to sit deep were preventing the Stockholm side creating late chances. However, they came through a mighty scare in the 11th minute of added time at the end of the match, as Abraham went down inside the area when challenged by Aki Samuelsen.
Despite huge protests from the Hammarby players, the referee blew for full-time, rather than a penalty, sparking wild Mjallby celebrations amid tensions reaching boiling point.
That decision ensured MAIF held out for another famous victory in their recent history, writing the wrongs of a heavy defeat at home to Hacken in their only previous final appearance in 2023.
It was a fitting moment for Bergstrom to score the winner, having been with the club since their days in the third tier, while Stroud capped off a perfect week that saw him called up for Sweden's 2026 World Cup squad.
For Hammarby, it's a second defeat in the final since their one and only cup win in 2021, but their fifth silver medal position in total.