Sweden at the World Cup: History, decline and a chance for redemption in 2026

It would be fair to say that Sweden’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup in North America has not met with universal approval.

Sweden were woeful in qualifying, finishing bottom of their group behind Switzerland, Kosovo and Slovenia without winning a game.

However, their performances in the Nations League handed them a back-door route to the World Cup via the play-offs and they have grasped the opportunity with both hands.

Victories over Ukraine and Poland have fired Sweden into the tournament for the 12th time and raised the mood across the country.

The best betting sites in Sweden rate them as 150/1 shots to lift the trophy this summer and it would be a brave move to back them to achieve the feat.

However, bettors may feel there is value in wagering on Sweden to reach the knockout stage given the improvement they have made under manager Graham Potter.

Read on as we look at Sweden’s previous record at the World Cup, before assessing whether they can enjoy a productive tournament this summer.

Sweden at the World Cup

Year	Round	Position	P	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930	Did not enter
1934	Quarter-finals	8th	2	1	0	1	4	4
1938	Fourth place	4th	3	1	0	2	11	9
1950	Third place	3rd	5	2	1	2	11	15
1954	Did not qualify
1958	Runners-up	2nd	6	4	1	1	12	7
1962	Did not qualify
1966	Did not qualify
1970	Group stage	9th	3	1	1	1	2	2
1974	Quarter-finals	5th	6	2	2	2	7	6
1978	First group stage	13th	3	0	1	2	1	3
1982	Did not qualify
1986	Did not qualify
1990	Group stage	21st	3	0	0	3	3	6
1994	Third place	3rd	7	3	3	1	15	8
1998	Did not qualify
2002	Round of 16	13th	4	1	2	1	5	5
2006	Round of 16	14th	4	1	2	1	3	4
2010	Did not qualify
2014	Did not qualify
2018	Quarter-finals	7th	5	3	0	2	6	4
2022	Did not qualify

Sweden & Potter are on a redemption mission

Sweden’s decision to appoint Jon Dahl Tomasson as their first-ever foreign manager in February 2024 backfired spectacularly.

The former Denmark striker proved to be a divisive figure during his time in charge of Blackburn Rovers and failed miserably with the Swedish national team.

Potter’s appointment last November also looked questionable following his hugely underwhelming spells in charge of Chelsea and West Ham United.

His first two games – a 4-1 defeat by Switzerland and a 1-1 draw with Slovenia – did little to dispel the notion that Sweden had dropped another clanger.

Potter has swiftly changed the narrative by guiding the Swedish team to impressive play-off victories over Ukraine and Poland.

He now faces the difficult task of trying to navigate through a group containing Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia. The bookmakers do not fancy their chances.

However, Potter believes that Sweden are capable of upsetting the odds this summer having demonstrated their fighting spirit during the play-offs.

“Where the team was, the injuries, trying to bring everything together, the negative place the team was in, it’s been an incredible challenge,” Potter said.

“I want to thank all the staff who’ve supported me. We talked about doing it together and I think we have. We just had to start with the basics, get the team together, nothing too complicated.

“There’s enough quality there, enough talent, but you can’t talk about individual talent. It’s a team game and we saw tonight, especially with our supporters who were amazing, what we can achieve when we’re all together.”

“My career has had some amazing nights and amazing experiences, but to go to the World Cup – wow, this is incredible.”

Reaching the last-16 would represent progress for Sweden

Sweden had failed to qualify for three of the last four World Cups, so making it through to this summer’s tournament is a big deal for them.

The expanded 48-team line-up could work in their favour, with the addition of an extra knockout round opening the door for more teams to progress.

Netherlands are expected to win the group, which leaves Sweden battling with Japan and Tunisia to qualify alongside them. The composition of the fixtures could work in their favour.

Sweden kick-off their tournament against Tunisia on June 14. A victory in Guadalupe would ease the pressure on their second game against the Netherlands.

Their final group stage match against Japan will probably be a tight contest, particularly if both teams are still in with a chance of reaching the round of 32.

While no-one realistically expects Sweden to win the World Cup, they should be capable of at least reaching the last-16. That outcome would represent progress for Potter and his squad.

Sweden at the World Cup: History, decline and a chance for redemption in 2026