The Swedish national team has missed two consecutive championships: the World Championship in Qatar 2022 and the European Championship in Germany last summer.
Now the plan is that Blågult will not miss another one.
And it started well, at least when it came to the draw.
Sweden ended up in group B, together with Switzerland, Slovenia, and Kosovo – and thus avoided top-seeded nations like European Championship winner Spain, France, England, Italy, and Germany, to name a few of the teams that were in pot one during the draw in Zurich.
Sees Switzerland as Favorite
However, national team coach Jon Dahl Tomasson still found a favorite in the group.
Of course, it's the team that was in pot one. There's a reason why they were there, he says and points out Switzerland.
It's an excellent team. On paper, maybe not the biggest compared to the other nations, but a good team that went far in the European Championship. It's a team we know quite a lot about.
Since Tomasson & Co ended up in a four-team group, the national team will start the qualifying play in September, compared to the groups with five teams that start as early as March.
A detail that Tomasson thinks is positive.
Now we get more time to prepare. We'll try to arrange friendly matches in March and June, four matches. Then we can continue to build on what we've started and get better, and so that we're more prepared in September when it all starts.
The national team starts away against Slovenia on September 5 and plays three days later against Kosovo, also away.
The first meeting against Switzerland is at home on October 10.
"Love Challenges"
To celebrate a secured World Championship spot in November, Sweden needs to do better than anyone else in the group, since only the winners take the direct route to the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
It'll be a challenge, and we love challenges. We'll be ready. It's about performing, and when it's a small group, you can't make too many mistakes – or you're out, says Tomasson.
For the second-placed teams, however, there's still a chance – albeit through a more complicated route.
The 12 second-placed teams will, together with the four best group winners from the Nations League, who didn't finish top two in the qualifying, compete for four spots through playoffs. These matches will be played in the spring of 2026, on March 26 and 31.
The 2026 World Championship will take place in the USA, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Sweden has not participated in a World Championship final since 2018.
Friday, September 5: Slovenia–Sweden, Switzerland–Kosovo
Monday, September 8: Kosovo–Sweden, Switzerland–Slovenia
Friday, October 10: Sweden–Switzerland, Kosovo–Slovenia
Monday, October 13: Sweden–Kosovo, Slovenia–Switzerland
Saturday, November 15: Switzerland–Sweden, Slovenia–Kosovo
Tuesday, November 18: Sweden–Slovenia, Kosovo–Switzerland
All matches kick off at 20.45.
Source: Uefa.
Group A: Winner between Germany–Italy*, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg.
Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo.
Group C: Loser between Denmark–Portugal*, Greece, Scotland, Belarus.
Group D: Winner between Croatia–France*, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan.
Group E: Winner between Netherlands–Spain*, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria.
Group F: Winner between Denmark–Portugal*, Hungary, Ireland, Armenia.
Group G: Loser between Netherlands–Spain*, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta.
Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino.
Group I: Loser between Germany–Italy, Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova.
Group J: Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein.
Group K: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra.
Group L: Loser between Croatia–France*, Czech Republic, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar.
*Nations League quarterfinals will determine which nation ends up where. They will be played in March 2025.
