Before national team captain Graham Potter & Co can focus on the World Cup finals, the playoffs await in March. Sweden will meet Ukraine in the semi-final on March 26 – away, but the exact location has not been decided – and if they win, the final awaits against the winner between Albania and Poland at home at the Strawberry Arena in Solna five days later.
Even though Sweden's participation in the World Cup is uncertain, the national team at least knows what to expect if they secure a ticket this spring.
Blue and yellow ended up in Group F along with the Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia.
“Focusing on Ukraine”
I understand that it's exciting to look ahead but for us... We have to focus on Ukraine and hopefully win that match, says Graham Potter who followed the draw from home in England.
I haven't thought much about the World Cup, to be honest. We have two really big games that we have to play in March. All my focus, all my work for the next four months, is about trying to win the game against Ukraine.
The venues for Sweden's group are Arlington, Houston, Kansas City, USA, and Guadalupe, Mexico. The game schedule will be determined on Saturday.
The draw was a show
The group draw for the World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico was a star-studded affair. Former model Heidi Klum and actor Kevin Hart held the reins and were then joined by Robbie Williams, Wayne Gretzky, Shaquille O'Neal and Tom Brady, among others, a quartet with different duties.
In addition, US President Donald Trump – who was awarded the international football federation FIFA's newly established peace prize – was present at the John F Kennedy Center in Washington DC.
The World Cup draw was also about more than just dividing the national teams into twelve groups. It was a show.
The entertainment meant that it took almost ninety minutes before it was time to begin the main event: the lottery.
It was a bit drawn out. It was a big spectacle. Fifa knows that in America everything is big, a lot and awesome. They did take it a bit too far, but it was still nice, says national team manager Stefan Pettersson, who was in the US.
The World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico will be played between June 11 and July 19, with the first match being played in Mexico City and the final being decided at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Anders Wallin/TT
How the group stage draw for the 2026 World Cup was made
TT
Group A
Mexico
South Africa
South Korea
Denmark/North Macedonia/Czech Republic/Ireland
.
Group B
Canada
Italy/Northern Ireland/Wales/Bosnia and Herzegovina
Qatar
Switzerland
.
Group C
Brazil
Morocco
Haiti
Scotland
.
Group D
USA
Paraguay
Australia
Turkey/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo
.
Group E
Germany
Curacao
Ivory Coast
Ecuador
.
Group F
Netherlands
Japanese
Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania
Tunisia
.
Group G
Belgium
Egypt
Iran
New Zealand
.
Group H
Spain
Cape Verde
Saudi Arabia
Uruguay
.
Group I
France
Senegal
Iraq/Bolivia/Suriname
Norway
.
Group J
Argentina
Algeria
Austria
Jordan
.
Group K
Portugal
New Caledonia/Jamaica/Democratic Republic of the Congo
Uzbekistan
Colombia
.
Group L
England
Croatia
Ghana
Panama
