Sweden should not be at this tournament. They finished bottom of their qualifying group with two points and no wins, then relied on Viktor Gyokeres scoring four goals across two playoff matches to reach North America. Graham Potter’s side enters Group F ranked 43rd in the world, seeded third behind the Netherlands and Japan. None of that matters if both strikers are fit and firing. Having Gyokeres and Isak available, two strikers who led Premier League scoring charts in 2025/26, makes Sweden a more dangerous side than their ranking or their qualifying record would ever suggest. 

Sweden’s Route Here: Against All Odds 

Sweden’s qualification story is one of the tournament’s most unlikely. They finished bottom of UEFA Qualifying Group B with just two points and no wins, earning a playoff spot only through their 2024/25 Nations League Group C1 campaign. The playoffs required two matches and produced one of this tournament’s defining individual performances: Gyokeres scored a hat-trick against Ukraine in Valencia, then delivered the 88th-minute winner against Poland in Stockholm. Four goals, two matches, one World Cup. Without those contributions, Sweden’s tournament would have ended months before the opening fixture. 

Gyokeres, Isak, and Sweden’s Attacking Potential 

Gyokeres enters this tournament in the best form of his career. Fourteen Premier League goals and five in the Champions League, 19 in all competitions, as Arsenal won the 2025/26 title. The hat-trick against Ukraine and the late winner against Poland confirmed a striker who delivers when the stakes are highest.

Isak is the harder calculation. Liverpool paid £125 million to sign him from Newcastle in September 2025, but a groin injury in October and a fibula fracture in December, caused by a Micky van de Ven challenge, limited him to 22 appearances and 4 goals across all competitions. He missed both playoff matches entirely. Potter selected him on the strength of his ceiling: “If he hits top form, he is a world-class player.” Isak is targeting the June 14 opener against Tunisia. 

Sweden FIFA World Cup 2026 Squad: Isak & Gyokeres 

Potter confirmed his 26-man squad on 12 May 2026. Victor Lindelöf captains the side with 75 caps, Sweden’s most experienced player. The squad’s FIFA ranking of 43 makes them the third seed in Group F, but the attacking depth across both forwards justifies considerably more ambition than that number implies.

Kulusevski Out, Midfield Under Pressure 

Dejan Kulusevski’s absence is Sweden’s most significant structural loss. A right patella injury has kept him out of competitive football for Tottenham since May 2025, over a year sidelined. A second surgical procedure in March 2026 and his own declaration that “the knee is great” weren’t enough to move Potter: “A very, very difficult decision. Four and a half weeks to go to that first game, it just felt in my stomach it was the right thing.” Without Kulusevski, Sweden loses the midfielder most capable of driving at defenders and manufacturing chances in tight spaces. 

The midfield burden now falls on Lucas Bergvall and Yasin Ayari. Bergvall, 20, made 17 Premier League appearances for Tottenham in 2025/26, contributing one goal and three assists. Ayari offers more direct output from Brighton’s engine room: 3 goals and 3 assists in 28 league appearances. Both are capable. Neither can replicate what Kulusevski was going to provide. Facing Frenkie de Jong and Tijjani Reijnders on June 20 will test both players severely. 

Group F and Sweden’s Route Through 

Group F gives Sweden one winnable fixture and two severe ones. The Netherlands, ranked seventh globally, carries genuine title ambitions under Ronald Koeman, with Virgil van Dijk anchoring their defence. Japan defeated both Germany and Spain at the 2022 World Cup and beat England 1-0 at Wembley in a pre-tournament match; they are not a group-stage formality. 

Sweden’s clearest route through the group starts on June 14 against Tunisia in Monterrey. Win that match, stay competitive against the Netherlands on June 20, and a top-two finish becomes credible. A third-place berth with the right points tally could also advance them. The squad is more capable than a 43rd world ranking and a bottom-of-the-group qualifying record suggest. The Sweden FIFA World Cup 2026 squad, Isak & Gyokeres, the question is simply this: if both forwards are fit and Bergvall steps up in midfield, how far can this team actually go?                

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FAQs 

How did Sweden qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026?

Sweden qualified via the playoffs after finishing bottom of UEFA Qualifying Group B with two points. Gyokeres scored four goals across the two playoff matches to secure their place. 

Is Alexander Isak fit for the WC 2026?

Isak is targeting Sweden’s June 14 opener against Tunisia after a fibula fracture in December 2025. He made 22 appearances and 4 goals in all competitions in 2025/26, missing both playoffs. 

Who captains Sweden at the FIFA WC 2026?

Victor Lindelöf captains Sweden at the 2026 World Cup with 75 caps, the squad’s most experienced player. The Aston Villa centre-back anchors Sweden’s defensive spine. 

What group is Sweden in at the FIFA WC 2026?

Sweden is in Group F with the Netherlands (ranked 7th), Japan (18th), and Tunisia (40th). Their opening fixture is against Tunisia on June 14 in Monterrey.