Swden FIFA World Cup 2026 preview: Player to watch out for, tactics, predicted playing time

Sweden will thank its stars for a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup as they managed just two points from six matches in their qualifying campaign.

In most cases that is the end of the line, but fortunately for Sweden, a good performance in the 2024-25 edition of the UEFA Nations League C against Slovakia, Estonia and Azerbaijan gave the country a backdoor entry into the World Cup play-offs.

And this time, with former Chelsea manager Graham Potter at the helm, the Swedes were not about to miss the opportunity.

After finding the back of the net just four times in the European qualifiers, Sweden needed to end their drought quickly, and it was Viktor Gyokeres who took on the task. Blue and Yellow managed to put three goals each past Ukraine and Poland to clinch their place in the quadrennial competition, with the Arsenal striker responsible for four of those strikes, including an 88th-minute winner against Poland.

With Alexander Isak fit again, Sweden boasts of having two of the most productive strikers of the current generation in their ranks, but it remains to be seen whether this will compensate for the absence of the injured Dejan Kulusevski.

Meanwhile, in midfield, Lucas Bergvall and Yasin Ayari may be in their early twenties but have proven they can hold their own against the world’s best with their performances for Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively.

Victor Lindelöf is the standout name in the backline, which will also be bolstered by the tireless legs of Borussia Dortmund’s Daniel Svensson and Leeds United’s Gabriel Gudmundsson in the wider positions.

With the final major tournament taking place at Euro 2020, Sweden will be keen to make full use of its lifeline and an extended tournament will give the country confidence that it can get out of its group.

Player to watch out for

Viktor Gyokeres: While he may not have the flair and glamor of a modern striker, Viktor Gyokeres has managed to hold his own thanks to his raw power and instinct to find the back of the net. He is in good form heading into the World Cup, Arsenal’s top scorer (14) as they lifted the Premier League after 22 years, and it won’t be long before the mask party is celebrated on the biggest stage.

Manager

Graham Potter is no stranger to Swedish football. He led Östersund from the fourth tier to the top division during his spell from 2011-2018. Although his recent spells in England with Chelsea and West Ham United did not go to plan, his 2025 appointment with Sweden was solely to qualify for the World Cup, which he delivered. And despite leading for just six games, Sweden’s performances were more fluid and controlled, abandoning the high-pressure system imposed by previous manager Jon Dahl Tomasson.

TEAM

• Goalkeepers: Jacob Widell Zetterström, Viktor Johansson, Kristoffer Nordfeldt
• Defenders: Gustaf Lagerbielke, Victor Lindelöf, Isak Hien, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Herman Johansson, Daniel Svensson, Hjalmar Ekdal, Carl Starfelt, Eric Smith, Alexander Bernhardsson, Elliot Stroud
• Midfielders: Lucas Bergvall, Benjamin Nygren, Ken Sema, Jesper Karlström, Yasin Ayari, Mattias Svanberg, Besfort Zeneli
• Forward: Alexander Isak, Anthony Elanga, Viktor Gyökeres, Gustaf Nilsson, Taha Ali

Published on June 8, 2026