Sweden returns to the World Cup after a scintillating playoff win in March but faces a tough climb out of Group F in North America
Sweden needed a late goal from star striker Viktor Gyökeres to advance past Poland in a UEFA qualifying playoff in March to return to the World Cup and now faces an uphill climb to advance past the group stage. The Blue and Yellow come to North America with the No. 38 spot in the FIFA world rankings and a manager in Graham Potter who took over the national team last October, going 2-1-1 since the change. Sweden was pre-drawn into Group F before the qualifying playoffs, where it will face No. 7 Netherlands, No. 18 Japan and No. 40 Tunisia for a spot in the Round of 32.
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Sweden World Cup Schedule, TV Channel
For the entire World Cup schedule, check out our 2026 FIFA World Cup Preview.
Pre-World Cup Friendlies
Monday, June 1, 2026: vs. Norway at Ullevaal Stadion (Oslo, Norway), 1 p.m. ET
Thursday, June 4, 2026: vs. Greece at Friends Arena (Stockholm, Sweden), 1 p.m. ET
Group Stage
Sunday, June 14, 2026: vs. Tunisia at Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe, Mexico, 10 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)
Saturday, June 20, 2026: vs. Netherlands at NRG Stadium, Houston, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Thursday, June 25, 2026: vs. Japan at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, 7 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)
Knockout Stage*
Round of 32: June 28-July 3, 2026
Round of 16: July 4-7, 2026
Quarterfinals: July 9-11, 2026
Semifinals: July 14-15, 2026
Third-place match: July 18, 2026
Final: Sunday, July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, 3 p.m. ET (FOX)
*–Sweden must qualify to advance to the knockout stage as either one of the top two finishers in Group F or as one of eight third-place teams from the group stage to advance.
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Sweden World Cup Roster
Potter faces a May 30 deadline to submit his roster, which certainly will include captain Victor Lindelöf, a veteran defender, and Gyökeres, who broke out in the qualifying playoff wins in March after failing to score during initial UEFA qualifying.
The roster listed below is as of the March friendlies, with the official roster coming out in late May.
Forwards
Taha Ali, 27 (Malmö FF, Swedish Allsvenskan)
Roony Bardghji, 20 (Barcelona, Spanish La Liga)
Anthony Elanga, 24 (Newcastle United, English Premier League)
Viktor Gyökeres, 27 (Arsenal, English Premier League)
Gustaf Nilsson, 28 (Club Brugge, Belgian Pro League)
Benjamin Nygren, 24 (Celtic, Scottish Premiership)
Gyökeres is the key to the Swedish attack, which should get a boost with the return of 26-year-old Alexander Isak for the World Cup. Isak returned to his Liverpool club in the Premier League in April after missing four months with leg and ankle injuries and netted his first goal since coming back on April 25 againts Crystal Palace. Isak slots in at left wing, with Elanga on the right and Bardghji slated for the center attacking position. Dejan Kulusevski, 26, hopes to return from knee surgery in March and has not played in nearly a year.
Midfield
Yasin Ayari, 22 (Brighton & Hove Albion, English Premier League)
Lucas Bergvall, 20 (Tottenham Hotspur, English Premier League)
Jesper Karlström, 30 (Udinese, Italian Serie A)
Hugo Larsson, 21 (Eintracht Frankfurt, German Bundesliga)
Gustav Lundgren, 31 (GAIS, Swedish Allsvenskan)
Mattias Svanberg, 27 (VfL Wolfsburg, German Bundesliga)
Williot Swedberg, 22 (Celta Vigo, Spanish La Liga)
Besfort Zeneli, 23 (Union Saint-Gilloise, Belgian Pro League)
Bergvall and Svanberg are the favorites to draw the starting nods in the midfield for the Blue and Yellow, though Potter went with Ayari and Karlström during the qualifying playoffs in March. Bergvall is the most creative of the midfield personnel with his ability to deliver quality passes in tight spaces.
Defenders
Viktor Eriksson, 25 (Hammarby IF, Swedish Allsvenskan)
Gabriel Gudmundsson, 27 (Leeds United, English Premier League)
Herman Johansson, 28 (FC Dallas, MLS)
Gustaf Lagerbielke, 26 (Braga, Portuguese Primeira Liga)
Victor Lindelöf, 31 (Aston Villa, English Premier League)
Carl Starfelt, 30 (Celta Vigo, Spanish La Liga)
Elliot Stroud, 23 (Mjällby AIF, Swedish Allsvenskan)
Daniel Svensson, 24 (Borussia Dortmund, German Bundesliga)
Potter deploys a back three in its 3-4-2-1 setup and goes with a disciplined trio of Starfelt, Lindelöf and Isak Hien, a 27-year-old who plays for Atalanta in Italy’s Serie A. After missing more than a month with a thigh injury, Hien returned for Atalanta on May 2 as a substitute.
Goalkeepers
Melker Ellborg, 22 (Sunderland, English Premier League)
Kristoffer Nordfeldt, 36 (AIK, Swedish Allsvenskan)
Noel Törnqvist, 24 (Como, Italian Serie A)
The veteran Nordfeldt likely arrives in North America as the No. 1 option between the sticks, bringing 20 international caps with him. Nordfeldt fills the void left when Robin Olsen retired from international play on Sept. 30 in a dispute with former manager Jon Dahl Tomasson but confirmed his decision on April 5 despite the arrival of Potter at the helm.
Sweden World Cup History
The Blue and Yellow have reached great heights at the World Cup, but it’s been a long time. Sweden reached the final in 1958 as tournament host, losing to Brazil, and lost in the semifinals in 1938, 1950 and 1994, claiming third-place finishes in 1950 and 1994 and a fourth-place nod in 1938.
Sweden reached the quarterfinals in both 1974 and in Russia in 2018 before failing to qualify for the Qatar World Cup in 2022. It took Round of 16 exits in 2002 and 2006 and didn’t get out of the group stage in 1970, 1978 and 1990.