STOCKHOLM — Despite a qualifying campaign in which they slumped to four defeats and finished bottom of their group, Sweden is one game away from qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada thanks to a process that offers teams a number of second chances.
Sweden was so bad in Group B that they finished fourth behind Switzerland, Kosovo and Slovenia, with whom they drew twice, and they flopped so badly in their first four games that coach Jon Dahl Tomasson became the first men’s head coach to be sacked by the Swedish football association (SvFF).
“It just feels like an amazing opportunity. We have the opportunity because what the team did in the Nations League,” Graham Potter told a media conference on Monday.
“So, we are where we are, and now we’ve got one game to play to get to the World Cup, which is a dream,” Potter added according to Reuters.
“We’ve seen it as a positive opportunity, and we’re looking forward to it.”
Potter led Sweden in their last two qualifiers, losing 4-1 in Switzerland and drawing with Slovenia at home, but in the end, it turned out those results were immaterial as their victory in Nations League Group C1 – the third tier of the UEFA competition – threw them a lifeline.
For the European playoffs, the 12 runners-up in the group stage of World Cup qualifying were joined by four Nations League group winners who finished outside the top two in their groups, based on the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League interim overall ranking, and the Swedes were among those four teams.
Having beaten Slovakia, Estonia and Azerbaijan to win their Nations League group, the Swedes secured a 3-1 playoff win over Ukraine in Valencia last week to stand on the cusp of a return to North America, where they came third in the 1994 tournament held on US soil.
“We’re obviously very happy and pleased that we got this opportunity, even though the qualification games weren’t as good as we hoped,” Sweden captain Victor Lindelof said.
“The Nations League and the results we got there obviously gave us this opportunity … obviously very pleased and happy to be in this situation.”
After being booed by their home fans earlier in the campaign, Lindelof expects an entirely different welcome when he leads his team out at the sold-out Strawberry Arena on Tuesday to face Poland.
“It’s always extra nice to have fans behind us, and a packed arena where they give us energy. It means a lot for me, but it will mean a lot to all the guys too,” Lindelof said.
“I think there are a lot of people who are looking forward to going out on the field tomorrow and experiencing it.”
