Sweden

Sweden enter World Cup 2026 in Group F, where the early tests are Netherlands, Japan, and Tunisia. Sweden have never won the World Cup, but they were runners-up as hosts in 1958 and finished third in 1950 and 1994. Their tournament history is stronger than many casual observers remember. The current squad is shaped around Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres, and Dejan Kulusevski, a core that gives the team recognizable quality in the moments that usually decide group-stage matches: set pieces, transition attacks, and pressure around the box.

For this tournament, the assignment is both tactical and psychological: start quickly, protect the middle of the pitch, and make the group feel uncomfortable before the knockout picture forms. The attack gives Sweden real punch if service arrives early. Group F is balanced, and a clinical Isak-Gyokeres partnership could make them one of the section's most awkward opponents. If Sweden can turn its best individual stretches into a full 90-minute platform, the campaign has room to grow beyond a simple participation story.