Sweden head coach Graham Potter has officially announced his final 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. Instead of revealing a preliminary list, the English tactician directly named his final squad ahead of the tournament.
Sweden will begin their World Cup campaign on June 14 against Tunisia in Mexico, with the Scandinavian side placed in Group F.
A major boost for Sweden is the return of seven players, including Liverpool star Alexander Isak, who all missed the March playoff matches against Ukraine and Poland. Defenders Isaac Hien, Eric Smith, Alexander Bernhardsson and Emil Holm have also recovered from injuries in time to make the squad.
However, there is disappointment for Swedish fans as Dejan Kulusevski failed to recover from his long-term injury problems at Tottenham and misses out on the World Cup. The biggest surprise is arguably the omission of Roony Bardghji, despite his impressive breakthrough season with FC Barcelona. Another La Liga-based forward, Williot Swedberg, was also left out.
Only three players from Sweden’s domestic league Allsvenskan were selected: Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Taha Ali and Elliot Stroud. Both Stroud and Eric Smith are yet to make their senior international debuts but have still earned a place on the World Cup plane.
Speaking about his selection, Potter said:
“We have analyzed every aspect and made these decisions after careful consideration. I’ve chosen a group that is strong together and capable of bringing out the best in each other. A tournament is very different from regular matches — mental strength is crucial.”
Sweden’s 2026 FIFA World Cup Squad:
Goalkeepers: Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Viktor Johansson, Jacob Widell Zetterström.
Defenders: Victor Lindelöf, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Daniel Svensson, Elliot Stroud, Carl Starfelt, Isaac Hien, Emil Holm, Hjalmar Ekdal, Eric Smith.
Midfielders: Lucas Bergvall, Jesper Karlström, Yasin Ayari, Mattias Svanberg, Besfort Zeneli, Ken Sema.
Forwards: Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyökeres, Anthony Elanga, Gustaf Nilsson, Benjamin Nygren, Taha Ali, Alexander Bernhardsson.