Sweden has announced its full 26-player squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It’s the fourteenth time the country has qualified for the FIFA World Cup. The Scandinavian team reached the quarterfinals in their most recent appearance in 2018. Their best performance was in 1958 when they reached the final and lost to the champions, Brazil.
Head coach Graham Potter announced the full squad earlier today. The standout stars in the lineup are Premier League forwards Viktor Gyökeres (Arsenal) and Alexander Isak (Liverpool). Leading the team is captain Victor Lindelöf, the squad’s most seasoned veteran with 75 caps.
Goalkeepers: Viktor Johansson (Stoke City), Jacob Widell Zetterström (Derby County), Kristoffer Nordfeldt (AIK)
Defenders: Victor Lindelöf (Aston Villa), Hjalmar Ekdal (Burnley), Isak Hien (Atalanta BC), Carl Starfelt (Celta de Vigo), Gabriel Gudmundsson (Leeds United), Daniel Svensson (Borussia Dortmund), Gustaf Lagerbielke (SC Braga), Elliot Stroud (Mjällby AIF), Herman Johansson (FC Dallas)*, Eric Smith (FC St. Pauli)
Midfielders: Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham Hotspur), Yasin Ayari (Brighton & Hove Albion), Mattias Svanberg (VfL Wolfsburg), Jesper Karlström (Udinese), Besfort Zeneli (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise), Ken Sema (Pafos FC), Taha Ali (Malmö FF), Alexander Bernhardsson (Holstein Kiel)
Forwards: Viktor Gyökeres (Arsenal), Alexander Isak (Liverpool), Anthony Elanga (Newcastle United), Gustaf Nilsson (Club Brugge), Benjamin Nygren (Celtic)
* Emil Holm (Bologna) was originally part of the squad. The defender got injured a couple of days before the tournament and was replaced by Herman Johansson (FC Dallas).
Sweden had one of the most unusual paths to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Swedes had to take on Switzerland, Slovenia, and Kosovo. Sweden ended with only two points at the bottom of the group. Their head coach, Jon Dahl Tomasson, was sacked by the board, and British coach Graham Potter was appointed to the job. Sweden had an escape route. The Scandinavians won their 2024-2025 UEFA Nations League group. This gave them a playoff ticket in case they didn’t qualify through the European Qualifiers.
Sweden entered the playoff mini-tournament, where they were drawn against Ukraine in the semi-final. The match, played in Valencia because of the ongoing war in Ukraine, went in favor of the Swedes. Arsenal striker Viktor Gyökeres scored a hat-trick for Sweden and secured a 1-3 win and a spot in the playoff final. Sweden took on Poland for a ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In a very tense match in front of their fans in Solna, Sweden secured their spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Sweden beat Poland 3-2, and again, Gyökeres was the man of the hour. The striker scored the winner two minutes before the end of the match.
Sweden is part of Group F. The Scandinavian squad opens its World Cup on June 14 in Monterrey, Mexico, against Tunisia. Six days later, they meet the top 10-ranked Netherlands in Houston, Texas. Sweden’s final group stage match will take place on June 25. In Dallas, Texas, the Swedes will take on Japan. The two group winners and the eight best third-placed teams from each group will advance to the next stage.
Sweden Schedule
Marcel Dorff Marcel Dorff covers Mixed Martial Arts & Soccer for Heavy.com. He has covered MMA on a professional level since 2022. More about Marcel Dorff
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