Sweden have Gyokeres, Isak & Elanga but it's favourite managerial son Graham Potter to the rescue

Sweden’s journey to reach the 2026 World Cup has been anything but normal. In the main qualification campaign, they failed to win a single match and had to call on a man who owes so much to the Swedish game to rescue them.

That man was Graham Potter. The former Chelsea , Brighton and West Ham boss made his name with Ostersunds in Sweden, taking them from the fourth tier to the Europa League . He spent seven years with the club, recording a famous 2-1 win over Arsenal at the Emirates.

Swedish football journalist Frida Fagerlund believes taking the job was a no brainer for Potter. “You can tell he likes Sweden and is very grateful for the opportunities given to him by Swedish football,” Frida told our Make Football Great Again podcast.

Potter was handed the task of guiding Sweden to the World Cup, after former boss Jon Dahl Tomasson had failed to get the best out of a talented group. On paper, this is something of a golden generation for Swedish football, but the team have consistently failed to show their talents on the pitch.

That was until the World Cup Playoffs. Sweden got a back-door entry into the play-offs via their Nations League record.

In the semi-final against Ukraine , Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres bagged a hattrick. They secured qualification with a 3-2 victory over Poland in Stockholm, in a match where the visitors twice pegged them back.

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Most teams at this World Cup do not have a world class striker. Sweden have two. Both Gyokeres and Liverpool's record signing Alexander Isak feature in Potter’s squad, even after the latter's injury ravaged first campaign at Liverpool .

Working out how to use both Isak and Gyokeres will be key to Sweden’s success. “It’ll be interesting to see how Potter integrates them both...It’s important that they get the space they need and that they are both happy,” Frida said.

Sweden is a nation which has long produced world class strikers such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrik Larsson, and their current generation of frontmen are no different.

He could deploy Isak and Gyokeres as a strike partnership or play Isak in a more withdrawn role alongside Newcastle winger Anthony Elanga.

While Graham Potter’s club sides have been known for playing attractive, expansive football, his Sweden team will likely be slightly more pragmatic.

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“It came to a point when Potter took over that we realised we have to abandon this experiment of trying to play more attacking football.

“We realised we have to play like Sweden with an emphasis on defensive play,” Frida said.

Their two strikers will not be the only names recognisable to Premier League fans. In defence, Viktor Lindelof goes to the tournament fresh off a Europa League victory with Aston Villa . Gabriel Gudmundsson meanwhile has enjoyed a strong debut campaign in the Premier League with Leeds United .

One man who will not be on his way to North America is Dejan Kulusevski. The Tottenham wide man has missed the entire season with injury. He has previously captained the team so will be a big miss on and off the pitch.

“It breaks my heart that he (Kulusevski) is not coming, because he is an amazing footballer and amazing human,” Frida said.

As one of the elder statesmen in the squad, Lindelof will have to step up as captain and lead the team in Kulusevski’s absence.

“There’s a lot of responsibility on him (Lindelof), he’s supposed to be the leader now that Dejan Kulusevski is not in the squad,” Frida told the Mirror .

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In midfield, Brighton’s Yasin Ayari and Tottenham’s Lucas Bergvall could be poised to enjoy breakout tournaments. At 22 and 20 respectively, their best years are ahead of them, and they will likely be mainstays in the Sweden team for years to come.

Away from the Premier League, Celtic’s Benjamin Nygren will provide a goal threat should Potter use him. He scored 21 goals in his debut campaign in Glasgow. Udinese captain Jesper Karlstrom will likely set the tempo from midfield in a deep lying role.

Sweden have a strong record at the World Cup, having reached the quarterfinals or further on seven occasions. They were also the opposition in the 1958 final on home soil, as a 17-year-old Pele scored a hattrick in Brazil’s first World Cup victory. Their last World Cup match was a quarter final defeat in 2018 to Gareth Southgate ’s England.

They have been placed in a tough Group F alongside the Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia.

“The first game against Tunisia is absolutely key,” Frida said. The Netherlands and Japan are both ranked above Sweden in the World Rankings, but Japan are travelling to the World Cup without several key players.

Getting out of the group will be the aim for Sweden, having done so in every World Cup they have featured in since Italia ‘90. But they have only appeared at one of the last four tournaments.

Strong individuals can only take the team so far. For Sweden to have a strong run at this tournament, they will need a level of team spirit which has been lacking in recent years.

“I think we’ll reach the round of 16 and that’s me being optimistic,” Frida said.

Sweden begin their World Cup campaign against Tunisia in Monterrey on June 15. Kick-off is at 3am UK time.

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