Sweden have effectively snuck into the World Cup this time around, qualifying via the playoffs via their Nations League exploits despite a dreadful qualifying campaign.
Blagult finished bottom of Uefa Group B behind Switzerland, Kosovo and Slovenia without winning a single game but improved their performance dramatically after bringing in former Brighton and Chelsea manager Graham Potter to win Path B of the playoffs thanks to an away victory in Ukraine and a 3-2 home win over Poland.
Having qualified in an almost clandestine fashion, the Scandinavian side may feel that, relatively speaking, the pressure is off this summer – but they’re set for a tough time having been entered Group F alongside Japan, Tunisia and the Netherlands.
Sweden route to the World Cup
Sweden were truly woeful in qualifying, failing to win a single one of their six matches and finishing with just two points. That campaign led to the unsurprising sacking of boss Jon Dahl Tomasson, who has since been replaced by Graham Potter.
Potter, who has spent time in Sweden previously as the manager of Ostersunds, quickly managed to galvanise the team and inject some positivity ahead of a playoff campaign that Blagult had managed to qualify for thanks to their Nations League performances.
After Viktor Gyokeres bagged a hat-trick to help Sweden ease past Ukraine in the semi-final stage, the Arsenal striker popped up again just a few days later to score a late winner in an enthralling playoff final against Poland, which ended 3-2 in Stockholm.
Sweden World Cup 2026 fixtures
Sweden’s campaign will begin in the early hours of Monday 15th June (UK time at least) with a match against Tunisia.
They’ll then head to Houston where they’ll take on fellow Uefa outfit the Netherlands on June 20th before rounding off the group stage with a difficult fixture against Japan in Dallas.
READ MORE: Get the latest Sweden World Cup 2026 outright odds here
Sweden key players for World Cup 2026
Sweden top World Cup Golden Boot contender: Viktor Gyokeres
- Key stat: Viktor Gyokeres has scored at a quicker rate than a goal per game for Sweden since 2023, finding the net 14 times in his last 13 appearances.
Viktor Gyokeres has scored 19 goals at the time of writing in his first Arsenal season but for Sweden he is even more prolific. Four goals in the two qualifying playoff games have taken the 27 year old’s international tally to 19 goals from 32 games and with Alexander Isak unlikely to be back to full fitness in time to really explode at the World Cup, Gyokeres will shoulder the goalscoring burden for Blagult this summer.
Sweden primary playmaker: Benjamin Nygren
- Key stat: Benjamin Nygren has created 55 chances in 34 Scottish Premiership matches for Celtic so far in 2025/26 for a total of five assists.
With Dejan Kulusevski unlikely to have recovered in time for the World Cup, Benjamin Nygren will hope to earn himself a starting spot under Graham Potter. The 24 year old assisted a goal in each of his side’s playoff victories and also has three international goals to his name in just nine starts. On the back of a productive campaign for Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, he is the best placed player to deputise for Kulusevski in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Sweden card magnets & top tacklers: Gabriel Gudmundsson
- Key stat: Gabriel Gudmundsson has averaged two tackles per 90 minutes in the Premier League for Leeds United this season.
Gabriel Gudmundsson is almost guaranteed to start for Sweden this summer and he’ll bring his usual competitive style to the tournament. He was the only Blagult player in qualifying to manage more than double figures for tackles and he averages two per game in the Premier League for Leeds this season. In addition to that, the 27 year old has also picked up four yellow cards for the Whites.
Sweden rising star: Roony Bardghji
Key stat: Only one player in La Liga has managed more shots on target as a substitute than Barcelona’s Roony Bardghji in 2025/26.
Sweden possess a handful of exciting young talents, but none are more eye-catching than Roony Bardghji. The 20 year old made his competitive first-team debut for Copenhagen just six days after his 16th birthday and has gone from strength to strength since, convincing Barcelona to secure his signature in summer 2025. He’s enjoyed a solid first campaign at Camp Nou too, averaging 2.02 shots on target and 2.39 chances created per 90 minutes.
STAND-OUT STAT: Sweden are the only host nation to have ever finished a World Cup as runners-up. They were beaten by Brazil in the 1958 final.
Sweden set-piece specialists
- Penalties: Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak
- Free kicks: Mattias Svanberg, Anthony Elanga
- Corners: Mattias Svanberg, Anthony Elanga
Sweden tactical analysis and formation
Sweden team stats (average per game from qualifying):
- Corners: 4.9
- Shots on target: 3.2
- Shots on target conceded: 4.2
- Offsides: 1.2
Graham Potter has favoured a back three in his limited time in charge of Sweden so far, and his squad is probably best suited to this with a strong number of wide centre-backs and full-backs capable of playing as wing-backs. Viktor Johansson is expected to be fit again in time to start in goal, with skipper Victor Lindelof on hand to marshal the back three.
Borussia Dortmund’s Daniel Svensson will expect to start on the right, with Leeds’ Gabriel Gudmundsson on the left, but several players have a good claim to start in the middle – although we expect youngster Yasin Ayari to add to the 19 caps he’s already won aged just 22.
If Alexander Isak is fit enough, he should start as an inside forward from the left, opposite Anthony Elanga on the right – although Benjamin Nygren will hope to oust one of those two. Viktor Gyokeres will expect to lead the line regardless.
Get the latest Sweden World Cup goals, assists, shots, passes and tackle stats here
Sweden manager analysis
Graham Potter was the toast of Sweden in March after leading the team through a tricky playoff campaign and into the World Cup, despite confidence being at an all-time low following a poor qualifying group stage.
The former Chelsea and Brighton boss has worked in Sweden before with Ostersunds and will bring a defined philosophy that often leads to high chance creation and several turnovers per game. His side face some difficult fixtures in the group stages and if the playoff games are anything to go by, we could see plenty of goals at both ends in their matches.
The stats below are from his current spell in charge of the team.
| Coach | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graham Potter | Sweden | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 50% |
Sweden World Cup FAQs
Have Sweden ever won the World Cup?
No, Sweden have never won the World Cup – although they’ve come closer than most. Blagult lost to Pele’s Brazil in the 1958 final on home soil.
Where did Sweden finish in the last World Cup?
Sweden failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. The Scandinavians went into the playoffs after finishing second in their group behind Spain and beat Czechia in the semi-final before going down 2-0 to Poland in Chorzow.
Who will be Sweden captain at the World Cup?
Victor Lindelof has been Sweden captain since 2021, when he succeeded Andreas Granqvist. The 31 year old will retain the armband for this summer’s tournament.
Who is Sweden’s all-time top goalscorer at World Cups?
Kennet Andersson and Henrik Larsson share the record for most Sweden goals at the World Cup with five. All five of Andersson’s goals came at the 1994 World Cup, while Larsson scored one in that tournament, three in 2002 and a further one in 2006.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is Sweden’s all-time top goalscorer, but none of 62 goals for his country were scored at World Cups.
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