Sweden endured a disastrous 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign as they went winless and finished rock-bottom of their group.
But they still have a chance to be one of the 48 competing teams this summer, and Graham Potter has been tipped to confirm their entry.
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Two draws and four defeats against Switzerland, Kosovo and Slovenia left Sweden with just two points from a possible 18.
Logic would dictate that this ended their hopes of qualification, but a lifeline has been awarded courtesy of their Nations League success.
Sweden won the 2024/25 Nations League C Group 1, so will play in the UEFA World Cup play-offs Path B semi-finals against Ukraine tonight.
Poland or Albania will be their final opponents if they win, with a place in Group F of the World Cup up for grabs.
Potter will oversee their attempt and Jesper Karlstrom, who is part of the Sweden squad, has backed him to get the big job done.
“He was really good with the team,” Karlstrom told eSPORTY of the head coach’s first squad at Udinese’s international media days event. “I had a really good impression of him as a coach and as a person.
“Obviously, we didn’t have a lot of time just a few days before the first game (4-1 defeat to Switzerland in November). It was an intense camp, so it was kind of back to the basics a little bit, tactically.
“And again, now in a few weeks it will be just a few days before this important game. I think it was more about coming together as a group and he was really good at that, to get us together. The feeling in the group was really good in the last camp.
“We just have to build on that now and hopefully we get some players back from injuries. I knew him because he started his career in Sweden as a coach, so we all knew him from before and the way he wanted to play and all of these things.
“But in a national team it’s a little bit different. The process cannot be, especially in his case, that long. But my impression was really good and I’m looking forward to hopefully working with him again.”
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Sweden stars are second to none
Karlstrom was also asked if this current crop of Swedish talents is the country’s best ever ahead of a potential first World Cup since 2018.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sebastian Larsson, Freddie Ljungberg and Henrik Larsson are just some of their most notable icons.
However, for Karlstrom, the class of 2026 are on a different level.
“At the moment, yes, in terms of quality,” the midfielder confirmed. “We have many players on the big stage.
“Premier League, we went to big clubs for a lot of money. (Viktor) Gyokeres, (Alexander) Isak. (Dejan) Kulusevski, (Lucas) Bergvall, (Anthony) Elanga.
“Players in Italy, Spain. So I think in terms of individual quality, we’re in a really, really good situation. I can’t remember in my lifetime when it’s been like this. But obviously we struggled a bit as a team.
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“We played really extreme football with the last coach and didn’t go as we wanted, of course, but we also had some injuries on these big players. But now we have a chance again to go to the World Cup.
“We have a new coach and I think the last camp was something positive, even though we lost big against Switzerland. But I think now it’s all in March and we have to take the chance.”
Isak injured, but World Cup still in reach
Among Sweden’s very best players is Isak, although even he couldn’t fire his country to automatic qualification.
He has endured a nightmare debut season at Liverpool following his British record ยฃ125million transfer from Newcastle United.
Isak scored only three goals in 16 appearances before he suffered a fibula fracture and underwent surgery in December.
The striker is therefore not in the latest Sweden squad, but Karlstrom believes that they still have enough talent to reach the World Cup.
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He added: “From what I read, it doesn’t seem possible for him to play. But it’s nothing we can control.
“We still have a lot of good players and I still think our chances to go to the World Cup are good with the players we have.
“I guess we have two really good teams, but first we have to beat Ukraine, which is a tough opponent. But I think we have good chances.”
