Sweden were tipped to lose the knockout match at MetLife Stadium. The French stars, several of whom won the World Cup in Russia in 2018 and played in the final in Qatar in 2022, dominated. The gold-medal contenders won 3–0 after two goals from Kylian Mbappé and one from Bradley Barcola.
Sweden's national team captain Graham Potter, who took over last fall after the end of the World Cup qualifiers when Jon Dahl Tomasson was fired, thinks it's important for the national team players to have perspective on their performance. The blue and yellow team made it to the World Cup via the playoffs under Potter's leadership.
We are really disappointed to go out. We felt we could have been here longer. But the opponent was a size too big today. We would have had to be perfect and play the match of our lives. And even then I don't know if it would have been enough. I am so proud of the team, he says to TV4.
Potter, who has a contract through a possible World Cup final in 2030, wants the Swedish players to hold their heads high.
"Even if they don't want to hear it, there's no shame in losing to an opponent at this level. You need to look at how long they've been playing together, what they've achieved as individuals and as a team in their careers. If you look at us, we're on the other side of the spectrum when it comes to our development and experience," he says.
The next major men's football championship goal for Sweden is Euro 2028, which will be played in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Qualifying begins in March next year.
