The Swedish men's national team missed the European Championship finals in Germany in 2024 and, two years earlier, the Blue and Yellow were not at the World Cup in Qatar.
Missed championships that have been noted at the office in Solna.
Due to the lack of sporting success on the men's side, the Swedish Football Association was forced to implement extensive savings packages in 2024 and 2025.
Now the football authorities are facing a new championship.
Two wins required
To reach the World Cup finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico, two victories are required, first against Ukraine in Valencia on Thursday and then against Albania or Poland at the Strawberry Arena in Solna five days later.
"Sportingly, the playoffs are extremely important, I would say. They show that Swedish football is at a level where we can compete with the best nations," says Niclas Carlnén.
If Blågult succeeds, the association is guaranteed to receive almost 100 million kronor in its bank account.
In the event of a loss, the large sum from FIFA would be lost.
"Financially, it's not that we're going to fail if we don't go to the championships, but we have to constantly adapt to reality. We don't know what it will look like in the future and it's clear that the championships contribute. Then there's uncertainty around this particular championship," he says.
“Uncertainties”
Carlnén, who took office in January, believes that it is difficult to know exactly how much money a World Cup participation can result in.
"There are greater uncertainties about how the costs are linked to the championship. We know that it is a longer tournament and if you go far, there will be more days, which also increases the cost," he says.
"We know that there are tax implications that have not been investigated. So the financial gain is much harder to predict this time than previous championships," he says.
Facts: The World Cup is a big hit at the box office
World Champion: 470 million Swedish kronor (50 million US dollars).
Silver: 310 million (33 million US dollars).
Bronze: 273 million (29 million US dollars).
Four: 254 million (27 million US dollars).
Ranking 5-8: 178 million (19 million US dollars).
Placement 9-16: 141 million (15 million US dollars).
Ranking 17-32: 103 million (11 million US dollars).
Ranking 33-48: 84.6 million (9 million US dollars).
In addition, all national teams receive 14 million SEK (1.5 million US dollars) in so-called preparation money, which means that each association receives at least 99 million (10.5 million US dollars).
Source: FIFA.
