Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres has been given an unwanted nickname by his Sweden team-mates after defender Eric Smith jokingly described him as "chubby" during international duty.

According to a report by Football London on Thursday, 12 November 2026, Smith revealed that he had started calling the 28-year-old "Bulten", which translates to "The Bolt" in English, with the nickname gradually gaining popularity among other members of the Sweden squad.

Smith, who plays for German club FC St. Pauli, made the revelation when asked who he believed would win next year's Ballon d'Or. His unexpected response left those around him confused before he explained the reference.

"I call him Bulten. I think it fits well and it's starting to catch on with the others now," Smith said.

When asked why he had chosen the nickname, the Swedish defender replied: "He is chubby." He also suggested that the Arsenal forward was not particularly pleased with the new name, adding: "He doesn't like it."

Sweden goalkeeper Viktor Johansson also joined in the conversation, finding humour in the nickname.

"It's very funny. That's what you think Bulten should look like," he said.

Gyokeres was subsequently asked about the nickname by Swedish publication Fotbollskanalen. Although he appeared amused by the situation, the striker admitted that he was unsure how Smith had come up with it.

"It's something crazy that they've come up with in recent days," Gyokeres said.

He added: "You'll have to check with him. I don't really know where he got it from. But he gets into things sometimes and you have to take it with a pinch of salt."

The light-hearted exchange comes amid contrasting fortunes for Gyokeres at club and international levels.

The forward scored 21 goals in all competitions last season but has struggled to reproduce that form during the current campaign.

He has managed only two goals so far and is yet to open his Premier League account, having played 614 minutes across competitions.

However, his performances for Sweden have been considerably better. He has registered five goals and two assists in eight competitive appearances since June, including goals in all four of the country's Nations League group matches in September and October.

Gyokeres will hope to continue that scoring form when Sweden face Bosnia and Herzegovina on Saturday before concluding their international fixtures against Poland on November 17.