+ How does Sweden win the group?
Both Sweden and Slovakia have ten points ahead of Saturday's group final. The meeting in Bratislava ended 2–2 and since head-to-head meetings apply in the event of an equal number of points, the winning team at the Strawberry Arena will take home group 1 in the C-division of the Nations League (NL). In the event of a draw, it will be decided in Tuesday's final round. Blågult will meet Azerbaijan at home and Slovakia will have Estonia at home.
+ Why is it important to win the group?
A group win can provide a lifeline in the event of a failed World Championship qualification. Four NL group winners will get a spot in the playoffs for the 2026 World Championship. This applies to the four best-ranked group winners who do not finish top two in their World Championship qualifying group.
+ How does the World Championship qualification work?
A total of 16 national teams from Europe will get to play in the 2026 World Championship in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, which has been expanded to 48 teams. Direct spots will be taken by the 12 group winners in the World Championship qualifying groups, which will be drawn on December 13. The 12 group runners-up will get to play in a playoff and will be joined by the current NL winners.
+ How does the World Championship playoff work?
The 16 teams will be drawn into four playoff paths, each consisting of four teams. It starts directly with semifinals – the winner in a single match goes to the final, and for the loser, it's game over. The winners of the four finals – also in single matches – will get to play in the 2026 World Championship. The matches will be decided in one and the same national team window in March 2026.
+ Who gets to use the lifeline?
Next week, it will be clear which national teams will get a lifeline – then the 14 groups in the four NL divisions (the best teams play in the A-division) will be completed. We will get the answer to who needs to use the lifeline only when the World Championship qualification is completed in November next year.
+ What should Sweden hope for?
In the event of a group win, the football national team can hope for favorite wins in the other division groups. Top nations like Spain, France, and Germany in the A-division should normally not need a lifeline in the World Championship qualification – the same applies to, for example, England in the B-division.
