The midfielder collected possession 30 yards out after a corner was half-cleared, and evaded challenges from Eugenie Le Sommer and Sonia Bompastor before bearing down on goal and driving a fierce shot high past Celine Deville.

Sweden had taken a 29th-minute lead when Lotta Schelin got behind the French defence to reach a long pass from Sara Larsson.

Schelin lifted the ball coolly over goalkeeper Berangere Sapowicz, who was injured in the process and had to be replaced by Deville.

Elodie Thomis fired an equaliser for France after 56 minutes, and Sweden had Josefine Oqvist sent off 12 minutes later, but Hammarstrom's 82nd-minute strike proved decisive.

Japan face the United States in the final in Frankfurt tomorrow.