Graham Potter announced Sweden's 26-player squad for the 2026 World Cup
The Sweden national football team is entering the final phase of preparations for the 2026 World Cup with a known list of players. According to an announcement by the Swedish Football Association, head coach Graham Potter presented on 12 May 2026 a list of 26 footballers who are expected to represent Sweden at the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States of America. FIFA also stated in a separate announcement that Sweden had published a 26-man squad for the global showcase, thereby confirming the framework with which Potter is heading into the final warm-up matches and the journey to North America.
It is a list that combines the experience of players from the strongest European leagues, returnees after injuries and younger footballers who have earned their place in the competition. The Swedish association stated that Potter emphasized that he had chosen a strong and balanced group, with players who can respond to the different challenges of a long tournament. In his statement, the importance of unity was especially highlighted, because the coach believes that a major competition is not the same as a usual national-team gathering and that every role in the squad can be important.
The list was published a little more than a month before the start of the tournament, which is played from 11 June to 19 July 2026. According to FIFA's rules for this edition of the World Cup, each national team may have 26 players in the final squad, which is the same number as at the tournament in Qatar in 2022. FIFA states that the expanded format of the competition brings 48 national teams and a total of 104 matches, so squad depth, player recovery and management of minutes will have even greater importance than in previous editions.
The list confirmed after a dramatic passage through additional qualifiers
Sweden returned to the World Cup after not appearing at the 2022 tournament. According to data from the Swedish Football Association, the national team secured qualification in March through the European play-off route, with victories against Ukraine and Poland. The association especially highlighted the dramatic finish against Poland, in which Sweden won 3:2, with a late goal by Viktor Gyökeres at a packed Strawberry Arena.
That qualification changed the tone around the national team, which in the previous period had gone through fluctuations in results and was searching for stability. After securing a place at the tournament, Potter had a short but intense period to assemble the final group. The Swedish association states that in the period after the play-offs the coach put together the squad for the trip to the USA, while trying to find a balance between individual quality, tactical adaptability and resilience to the demands of tournament football.
In that context, the timing of the squad announcement is also important. Sweden presented the squad on 12 May, while FIFA, in its information about the lists for the 2026 World Cup, pointed out that national teams are this time limited to 26 players. This means that the Swedish coach, unlike during the period of broader observation of candidates, is entering the final preparations with a clearly defined main squad. According to the association's announcement, during preparations in Stockholm and Oslo, Herman Johansson will also be with the team as the 27th player and a reserve for the tournament list.
The attack is led by Gyökeres and Isak, Kuluševski absent due to injury
The offensive part of the Swedish team attracts the most attention. In its preview of the Swedish list, FIFA highlighted that the attack is led by Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak, two players around whom the greatest share of expectations is naturally built. The Swedish association confirmed that Isak is returning to the national-team squad after injury, and alongside him the returnees after health problems include Alexander Bernhardsson, Emil Holm, Viktor Johansson and Jacob Widell Zetterström, who had been out of action due to a virus.
On the other hand, Dejan Kuluševski was not included among the 26 players. The Swedish association states that the reason is a long-term injury and that the time for his full return was nevertheless too short. Potter described the decision as very difficult and, according to the association's announcement, said that the staff had considered all possibilities before the final decision. Kuluševski's absence is an important sporting detail because he is one of Sweden's most recognizable players of recent years, but the coach opted for a squad he considers currently more ready to handle the rhythm of the tournament.
In attack and offensive roles, Potter has several player profiles. Alongside Gyökeres and Isak, the list includes Anthony Elanga, Gustaf Nilsson, Benjamin Nygren, Ken Sema, Taha Abdi Ali, Alexander Bernhardsson and Besfort Zeneli. Such a selection suggests the possibility of different tactical solutions, from playing with a classic central striker to a system in which speed, depth and attacks through wide corridors are used. According to the association's announcement, Gyökeres will join the preparations later than the rest of the team because his Arsenal plays the Champions League final on 30 May.
Experience in defence and midfield
In the defensive part of the list there are several players with important international experience. Among them is Victor Nilsson Lindelöf, whom the Swedish Football Association listed as an Aston Villa player, and the list also includes Hjalmar Ekdal, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Isak Hien, Emil Holm, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Eric Smith, Carl Starfelt, Elliot Stroud and Daniel Svensson. Such a structure gives Potter more options for assembling the back line, including players accustomed to different styles in England, Italy, Spain, Germany and other European leagues.
In the goalkeeper positions are Viktor Johansson, Kristoffer Nordfeldt and Jacob Widell Zetterström. The Swedish association stated that Johansson and Widell Zetterström are returning after health difficulties, which is especially important because in the final preparations not only form will be assessed, but also the level of readiness for training, travel and possible changes in the rhythm of matches. Nordfeldt brings experience and knowledge of the national-team environment, which for a tournament squad is often just as important as current club minutes.
The midfield consists of players of different profiles, from hard-working and tactically disciplined footballers to younger names with more pronounced development potential. The list includes Yasin Ayari, Lucas Bergvall, Jesper Karlström and Mattias Svanberg, along with some players who can cover several roles between midfield and attack. Bergvall, who is listed as a Tottenham player, represents the younger generation of Swedish football, while Svanberg and Karlström bring stability and experience in high-intensity matches.
Sweden's squad for the 2026 World Cup
According to the announcement by the Swedish Football Association, Graham Potter selected the following 26 players for the 2026 World Cup:
- Goalkeepers: Viktor Johansson, Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Jacob Widell Zetterström.
- Defenders: Hjalmar Ekdal, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Isak Hien, Emil Holm, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Victor Nilsson Lindelöf, Eric Smith, Carl Starfelt, Elliot Stroud, Daniel Svensson.
- Midfielders and forwards: Taha Abdi Ali, Yasin Ayari, Lucas Bergvall, Alexander Bernhardsson, Anthony Elanga, Viktor Gyökeres, Alexander Isak, Jesper Karlström, Gustaf Nilsson, Benjamin Nygren, Ken Sema, Mattias Svanberg, Besfort Zeneli.
The list shows that Potter did not rely only on the biggest names, but tried to gather a group that covers several scenarios. In national-team football this can be decisive, especially at a tournament that lasts more than a month and in which teams travel between cities and time zones. Although the greatest focus is expectedly placed on forwards from big clubs, equally important will be the players who can maintain the structure of the team, close out a match, bring energy from the bench or cover several positions in case of injuries and suspensions.
Preparations begin in Stockholm, the base will be in Dallas
The Swedish association also announced the plan for the final preparations. The national team will first gather in Stockholm, then travel to Oslo for the match against Norway on 1 June. After that comes a return to Stockholm, where the dress rehearsal against Greece is scheduled for 4 June at Strawberry Arena. According to the association's plan, the team travels to the USA on 6 June, and the base during the tournament will be in Dallas.
Such a schedule shows that the Swedish staff is trying to combine controlled preparation conditions with an early arrival in the tournament area. Traveling to North America several days before the start of the competition enables adaptation to the time difference, climate and logistics. At a championship played in three countries and at sixteen locations, organizational details can have a direct impact on the sporting result, especially for national teams that change cities and playing conditions in the group.
FIFA announced that the 2026 World Cup will be the largest edition of the tournament so far, with 48 national teams and 104 matches. The expansion of the format also means a different group dynamic and an additional knockout-round stage, namely the round of 32. For national teams such as Sweden, this opens more possibilities for progression, but at the same time increases the number of potential obstacles on the road toward the final stages.
Group F: Tunisia, the Netherlands and Japan
Sweden will compete in Group F, together with Tunisia, the Netherlands and Japan. According to the schedule published by FIFA, the Swedish national team begins the tournament against Tunisia in Monterrey. A meeting with the Netherlands in Houston follows, and the group stage ends with a match against Japan in Dallas. The Swedish association listed the dates 15, 20 and 26 June for Sweden's three group matches, while local times and dates may differ depending on the time zone.
The group is demanding from a sporting perspective because it brings together national teams of different styles and football schools. The Netherlands traditionally arrives with high ambitions and great experience at world championships, Japan has in recent years confirmed stable growth on the international stage, and Tunisia brings a physically and tactically awkward opponent profile. For Sweden, the first match against Tunisia will be especially important because the result in the opener often determines the psychological and tactical framework for the rest of the group stage.
FIFA's competition system in the expanded format allows the two first-placed national teams from each group to progress, along with a certain number of the best third-placed teams. This reduces the pressure compared with the older format in which third place meant certain elimination, but it does not remove the need to win points quickly. In a group with the Netherlands and Japan, Sweden will have to make use of the advantages of its physical strength, transition play and attacking potential.
Potter's message: every player has meaning
In the association's announcement, Graham Potter emphasized that he had chosen a group in which players can bring out the best in one another. That sentence is important because it points to a criterion that goes beyond the mere addition of individual quality. At major competitions, details that are not visible in a list of names often decide outcomes: accepting roles, reacting to sitting on the bench, the ability to change the system and adaptation to an opponent in a short time.
Potter is also interesting in the Swedish context because of his coaching biography. Before coming to the national-team bench, his name was most strongly associated with work in English football, but also with an earlier episode in Sweden, where he built an internationally recognizable project with Östersunds. Precisely for that reason, his selection of the Swedish squad has an additional dimension: the coach knows the Swedish football environment well, but at the same time brings experience of working in leagues in which a large number of national-team players compete.
For Sweden, returning to the World Cup is important symbolically as well. After appearing in 2018 and missing the 2022 tournament, the national team is again arriving on the biggest stage at a moment when it has pronounced individual quality in attack, but also several open questions regarding injuries, form and tactical balance. The list of 26 players now gives a clearer answer to how Potter imagines the team, but final confirmation will come only on the pitch, first in the warm-up matches and then in Group F against Tunisia, the Netherlands and Japan.
Sources:
- Swedish Football Association – announcement of the 26-player list, statements by Graham Potter, information on injuries, preparations and Sweden's schedule (link)
- Swedish Football Association – preview of the squad presentation and basic information about Group F and match dates (link)
- FIFA – announcement on the Swedish squad for the 2026 World Cup and confirmation of the 26-man squad (link)
- FIFA – rules and explanation of the number of players in squads for the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIFA – official match schedule, host cities and format of the 2026 World Cup (link)