The Nations League, World Championship qualifiers, European Championship finals, club World Championship, all cups in Europe and domestic leagues and cups. It's one thing to keep track of next year. The football calendar is overflowing. It's no wonder coaches and players complain about the increasingly packed program.
The offer is enormous and it's going to get even bigger.
As if it's not enough with tournaments, Fifa is introducing a heavily expanded club World Championship (men) in the USA on June 15-July 13. 32 clubs will compete for the title. A week earlier (June 4-8), the finals of the Nations League for national teams will take place. Certainly, one or two players who have just given their all in the Champions League final in Munich on May 31 will arrive.
A busy year for national teams
The Swedish women's and men's national teams will have their hands full. This is what awaits in 2025:
+ Women's Nations League
Italy, Denmark, and Wales are the opponents in the group stage. It will be played out during three match windows in February, April, and June. If Sweden wins the group, the finals await in the fall – and four more matches. The tournament gains even more weight since the results will affect the seeding for the World Championship qualifiers in Brazil 2027.
+ Women's European Championship finals
It will be played in eight cities in Switzerland on July 2-27. Sweden's group stage matches: July 4: Denmark, July 8: Poland, July 12: Germany. The top two teams in the group will reach the quarterfinals.
+ Men's World Championship qualifiers
A dream draw? Well, maybe. The trio of Switzerland, Slovenia, and Kosovo won't make Jon Dahl Tomasson's rising national team tremble. It will be tough anyway. The six matches will be played during three match windows (September, October, and November) and will produce a World Championship-ready group winner. A positive aspect of the draw: The national team can gel together during four friendly matches (two in March and two in June) before it gets serious.
The runner-up in the qualifying group will go to the playoffs in March 2026. Sweden can get a lifeline as third, thanks to the group win in the Nations League.
Jobs on the line?
Swedish national team football is not known for easily getting rid of national team coaches. Both Jon Dahl Tomasson and Peter Gerhardsson have expiring contracts. "JDT"'s contract extends over the qualifiers and will be extended if successful. If the World Championship is missed, it's less likely that either he or the association will want to continue the cooperation. Gerhardsson's current contract expires after the European Championship.
