Sweden had a dramatic story in their FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification, as Blågult are set to make their WC comeback in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The Swedish story is a perfect example of never giving up until the end.
In the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualification (UEFA), Sweden were in Group B along with Switzerland, Kosovo, and Slovenia. Surprisingly, Sweden finished last in the points table after recording two draws, both against Slovenia, while losing four games. Switzerland directly qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 by finishing as the Group B champions, while Kosovo finished in second place to qualify for the UEFA Playoffs. However, despite finishing in fourth or last position in the points table while not winning a single match, Sweden still earned the UEFA Playoffs opportunity thanks to their final ranking in the UEFA Nations League 2024-2025, as it became effective to qualify for the Playoffs.
In the Playoffs, Sweden turned the tables by beating Ukraine by 3-1 in the Semifinal and Poland by 3-2 in the Final to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Sweden's performances in the FIFA WC 2026 Qualification UEFA Group B
Slovenia 2 – 2 Sweden
Kosovo 2 – 0 Sweden
Sweden 0 – 2 Switzerland
Sweden 0 – 1 Kosovo
Switzerland 4 – 1 Sweden
Sweden 1 – 1 Slovenia
UEFA Playoffs (Second Round) – Path B
Semi-final: Ukraine 1 – 3 Sweden
Final: Sweden 3 – 2 Poland
Sweden's Complete FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualification Stats
Matches played: 8
Won: 2
Drawn: 2
Lost: 4
Goals Scored: 10
Goals Conceded: 15
Leading Goal Scorer: Viktor Gyökeres – 4 goals
Sweden FIFA World Cup records
After missing the FIFA World Cup 2022, Sweden have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026. After finishing in the third place in the 1994 edition, Sweden have missed four World Cup editions. While they were eliminated from the Quarterfinals in the 2018 edition, their last group stage elimination happened in the 1990 edition. While The Blue and Yellow finished fourth and third places in the 1934 and 1938 editions, respectively, they were runners-up in the 1958 edition.
Sweden group stage schedule in the FIFA World Cup 2026
In the FIFA World Cup 2026, Sweden will start from Group F, where they will face Tunisia, Netherlands, and Japan.
June 14: Sweden vs Tunisia at Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe (20:00 local time)
June 20: Netherlands vs Sweden at NRG Stadium, Houston (12:00 local time)
June 25: Japan vs Sweden at AT&T Stadium, Arlington (18:00 local time)
