Sweden barely made it to North America. They finished bottom of their UEFA qualifying group with just two points — a result that would usually end a World Cup campaign. What saved them was their Nations League ranking and the arrival of Graham Potter, appointed in October 2025 with five months to salvage the situation. He did it — through a Gyökeres hat-trick against Ukraine and a late winner against Poland. Now Potter has named his final 26, and the squad comes with two immediate controversies: Dejan Kulusevski is absent through a season-ending knee injury, and Roony Bardghji has been left out despite making 26 appearances for LaLiga-winning Barcelona this season.
How Sweden Qualified — Bottom of Their Group, Then a Gyökeres-Fuelled Great Escape
Sweden's qualifying campaign was a near-disaster. They finished bottom of their UEFA group with just two points and would normally have missed the tournament entirely. Their Nations League ranking gave them a play-off lifeline, and Graham Potter — appointed just five months before the decisive ties — took full advantage.
Gyökeres delivered a hat-trick against Ukraine in the semi-finals, then scored the decisive late winner in a 3-2 playoff final against Poland. Anthony Elanga added a glorious left-footed finish that night. Sweden were through, but only just — and they had done it entirely without Alexander Isak, who had fractured his fibula in December and missed both ties.
The drama of that route has shaped everything since. Potter has spoken about 'togetherness' as the squad's defining quality, and it is easy to see why — this group had to find cohesion under pressure rather than build on comfortable momentum.
Key Players to Watch
The Official Squad: Kulusevski's Season-Ending Injury and Bardghji's Shock Omission
Dejan Kulusevski's absence is the squad's most painful loss. The Tottenham winger suffered a right patella knee injury in a collision with Crystal Palace's Marc Guéhi in May 2025 and missed the entire 2025-26 season. He underwent a second knee surgery within ten months. Potter called the omission 'a very, very difficult decision' but had no real choice — Tottenham could not provide a return timeline. Kulusevski had been central to Sweden's creative play for years, and no one in this squad fully covers what he provided as a link between midfield and attack.
The more debated decision is Roony Bardghji's omission. The 20-year-old made 26 appearances for Barcelona this season — nine starts, 783 minutes — as the Catalan club retained the LaLiga title. He was widely expected to be included. Potter was direct about the reasoning: 'Bardghji's position was sold out. But everyone knows his qualities. That's the difficult part of a coach's job when there are many options.' Bardghji had previously expressed frustration about playing time when called into qualifying squads, which appears to have factored into the decision.
On the positive side, Isak has recovered and returned to training, and Potter expects him fit for the June 14 opener against Tunisia. The Gyökeres-Isak axis — Arsenal and Liverpool's top forwards — is potentially the best striking pair of any Group F team. Bergvall at 19 gets the nod in central midfield, while the squad includes 11 British-based players reflecting the scale of Swedish talent migration to the Premier League and Championship.
Group F: Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia
Sweden open against Tunisia on June 14 before facing Japan and then the Netherlands. It is a demanding group: the Netherlands have one of the tournament's deeper squads, Japan have shown at recent World Cups they can eliminate higher-ranked opposition, and Tunisia are defensively organised.
The realistic ambition is to progress from the group. Whether Sweden finish above the Netherlands or settle for second place — and face a tougher last-32 draw — will likely come down to Gyökeres's form and Isak's fitness by matchday two.
World Cup History
One to Watch — Viktor Gyökeres
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