Sweden World Cup 2026 team guide

This article is portion of nan Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a practice betwixt immoderate of nan champion media organisations from nan 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is moving previews from 3 countries each time successful nan run-up to nan tourney kicking disconnected connected 11 June.

The plan

Sweden’s attempts to suffice for nan World Cup could hardly person gone worse, picking up conscionable 1 constituent from nan first 4 games nether Jon Dahl Tomasson before, successful October 2025, nan Dane was sacked aft a 1-0 conclusion against Kosovo.

In came Graham Potter, who had his breakthrough successful coaching astatine Swedish broadside Östersund betwixt 2011 and 2017, taking them from nan 4th tier to nan Allsvenskan, winning nan cup and beating Arsenal successful nan Europa League.

Under Potter’s activity nan attraction shifted to much accepted values associated pinch nan Swedish nationalist squad pinch a stubborn defence coupled pinch effective counterattacks. Having initially said he prefers a backmost 4 he group up pinch a 5-3-2 successful nan playoffs, pinch a attraction connected keeping things quiet astatine nan back.

With nan Nations League having offered Sweden a way backmost into nan World Cup qualifying process, they put successful an awesome capacity against Ukraine successful Spain successful nan semi-finals, winning 3-1 aft a Viktor Gyökeres hat-trick. The final, against Poland, was overmuch tougher to watch pinch nan visitors amended for overmuch of nan crippled but Gyökeres again stepped up, scoring an 88th-minute victor successful a 3-2 thriller.

“It’s difficult to explain, difficult to describe,” said a delighted Potter. “Just an unthinkable evening, conscionable truthful proud to beryllium portion of that and evidently proud to acquisition it. It was conscionable nan champion nighttime I’ve had successful football. Incredible, for illustration I was having immoderate benignant of out-of-body experience. I’m looking astatine nan extremity and abruptly each our chair is moving and you’re thinking: ‘Am I here?’ I’m conscionable grateful to beryllium portion of that.”

So Sweden made it to nan World Cup contempt collecting 2 points from six games successful their qualifying group. They now look Tunisia, Netherlands and Japan pinch dream of getting into nan knockout stages – that’s nan Potter effect for you.

Injury wise they are without skipper Dejan Kulusevski, whose power connected this squad cannot beryllium overstated. They will miss him successful North America. There are besides immense mobility marks complete Alexander Isak’s shape and fitness, though he did people successful a worryingly one-sided 3-1 conclusion against Norway connected 1 June aft coming connected arsenic a substitute.

The coach

In October 2025 Graham Potter gave an question and reply to Fotbollskanalen that was not truthful overmuch expressing an liking successful becoming Sweden coach, but much of a come-and-get-me plea. “I person feelings for Sweden,” he said. “I emotion nan state and I emotion Swedish football. Coaching nan nationalist squad would beryllium an unthinkable opportunity for me, absolutely.” A fewer days later he was successful nan occupation and, contempt not winning either of his first 2 games, nan Swedish FA was truthful smitten by him that they offered him a statement hold to 2030 successful March. Potter speaks very bully Swedish and for him it was nan cleanable occupation aft difficult spells pinch Chelsea and West Ham.

Star player

Alexander Isak became nan astir costly transportation successful Premier League history past twelvemonth erstwhile he moved from Newcastle to Liverpool for £125 but aft a reliable first play astatine Anfield location is nary mobility astir who nan talisman is for nan nationalist team: Viktor Gyökeres. The Arsenal guardant besides struggled initially astatine his caller nine but has deed shape precocious and scored 4 of Sweden’s six goals successful nan 2 playoff ties. His fame took different upturn aft nan precocious extremity against Poland pinch group from each complete nan state posting their ain versions of his extremity celebration, which is taken from Bane, nan characteristic played by Tom Hardy successful The Dark Knight Rises film.

Sweden’s guardant Viktor Gyökeres. Photograph: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images

One to watch

Celtic’s Benjamin Nygren aside, 1 subordinate that mightiness play a bigger domiciled than expected for Sweden successful North America is Gustaf Lagerbielke. The Braga defender put successful a important capacity successful nan playoff last against Poland, scoring pinch a thunderous header and keeping Robert Lewandowski quiet astatine nan back. The truth that nan erstwhile Celtic defender is simply a baron and 254th successful statement to nan Swedish throne only adds to nan intrigue. There are talks of a move to a big-five convention this summertime and a bully showing astatine nan World Cup will only summation his chances.

Unsung hero

If Sweden are to win this summer, they will person to triumph battles against a very method broadside successful nan Netherlands and a very tenacious and method Japan side. Jesper Karlström will person to play a large part. Captain of Serie A broadside Udinese, Karlström is simply a precocious bloomer who took clip to found himself astatine Djurgården earlier a move to Polish broadside Lech Poznan. He has talked astir really he struggled pinch a gambling addiction astatine Djurgården but that nan nine and his family helped him hit it. Karlström possesses each nan classical traits of a deep-lying midfielder, being coagulated successful nan tackle and tin of dictating play. The 30-year-old’s calming beingness will beryllium cardinal successful North America arsenic he is surrounded by youngsters specified arsenic Yasin Ayari and Lucas Bergvall successful midfield.

Probable starting XI

Illustration: Guardian

What to expect from fans astatine games?

Swedish supporters person a estimation of coming successful ample numbers for tournaments and making themselves heard. Fans of Blågult (blue and yellow) thin to beryllium friends and afloat of banter, interacting pinch guidance fans. The go-to opus of nan supporters is “Kanna på”, a opus referencing brew pitchers that support connected arriving. Yes, nan Swedes for illustration a brew aliases six. The opus besides states: “We are coming pinch 100,000 men” and, while location mightiness not beryllium different Viking penetration expected successful America, location will beryllium a ample yellow-and-blue delegation astatine nan World Cup.

Relationship pinch nan US/Trump?

“Look what happened successful Sweden past night.” Those were nan words of president Trump successful 2017, erstwhile talking astir problems pinch ample scales of migration and consequent violent attacks. The only problem was that thing of immoderate melodramatic quality had happened successful Sweden nan nighttime before. Trump said later he had been referring to a TV study connected Fox News, which did not explain things greatly. Swedish insubstantial Aftonbladet past summed up what had happened successful nan state connected nan time Trump was referring to:

• Famous vocalist Owe Thörnqvist suffered method problems successful rehearsals

• A man group himself connected occurrence astatine a plaza successful cardinal Stockholm

• There were roadworthy closures successful bluish Sweden owed to “harsh weather”

Written by Samuel Parts for fotbollskanalen.se.