Potter takes Sweden to 2026 World Cup with Gyokeres and Isak leading the line

Graham Potter has steered Sweden to the 2026 World Cup, securing qualification with a 3-2 playoff victory over Poland in Stockholm after the Swedes failed to win a single match in the main qualifying campaign under former head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson.

Potter, who previously managed Chelsea, Brighton and West Ham, built his early reputation in Sweden by taking Ostersunds from the fourth tier to the Europa League over seven years — including a famous 2-1 win over Arsenal at the Emirates. Swedish football journalist Frida Fagerlund told the Make Football Great Again podcast that accepting the role was an easy decision for him. “You can tell he likes Sweden and is very grateful for the opportunities given to him by Swedish football,” she said.

Sweden entered the playoffs through their Nations League record rather than direct qualification. In the semi-final against Ukraine, Viktor Gyokeres scored a hat-trick to send them through, before the team survived two Poland equalisers to clinch their place at the tournament.

On paper, Sweden carry one of the more potent attacking threats at the 2026 finals. Both Gyokeres and Liverpool’s Alexander Isak are in Potter’s squad, the latter having recovered from an injury-disrupted first season at Anfield. How Potter deploys them together will be central to Sweden’s ambitions. “It’ll be interesting to see how Potter integrates them both,” Fagerlund said. “It’s important that they get the space they need and that they are both happy.”

Potter could opt for a strike partnership between the two or use Isak in a more withdrawn role alongside Newcastle winger Anthony Elanga, continuing a tradition of world-class Swedish forwards that stretches back through Henrik Larsson and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Despite Potter’s club sides being associated with expansive, attacking football, Fagerlund suggests his Sweden will be more pragmatic. “It came to a point when Potter took over that we realised we have to abandon this experiment of trying to play more attacking football. We realised we have to play like Sweden with an emphasis on defensive play,” she said.

Beyond the attack, the squad contains further Premier League familiarity. Defender Viktor Lindelof arrives at the tournament having won the Europa League with Aston Villa, while Gabriel Gudmundsson has impressed during a strong debut Premier League campaign with Leeds United.