A World Cup in the United States brings back special memories for Sweden fans of a certain vintage, as it was back in 1994 when Kennet Andersson, Henrik Larsson, Martin Dahlin and co. reached the semi-finals, narrowly losing to eventual champions Brazil before thrashing Bulgaria to take bronze, Blagult's best performance since finishing as runners-up on home soil in 1958.
Since the tournament was last in North America, Sweden have been very hit-and-miss; failing to qualify on four occasions and - thanks to beating Ukraine and Poland in the play-offs in March - qualifying four times. On each of their three previous appearances, Sweden have progressed to the knockout stages, most recently reaching the quarter-finals in Russia eight years ago.
Graham Potter's side will be hoping for similar this time around having hit their stride at just the right moment - Sweden reached the World Cup despite not winning a single one of their group games in qualification.
Sweden’s FIFA World Cup schedule
After the FIFA World Cup draw was made in December 2025, Sweden were one of four teams aiming to take the place allocated to the "UEFA Path B" winner, which had been drawn into Group F. Sweden's success in the playoffs meant they took the spot and will face Japan, Tunisia, and the Netherlands.
Sweden's full FIFA World Cup schedule is as follows:
Sunday, 14th June: Sweden - Tunisia (20:00 CST local time, 04:00 CEST on Monday 15th June)
Saturday, 20th June: The Netherlands - Sweden (12:00 CST local time, 19.00 CEST)
Thursday, 25th June: Japan - Sweden (18:00 PM CST local time, 01:00 CEST on Friday, June 26th)
Check out the full 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule in our article HERE >
Where will Sweden play their FIFA World Cup games?
Sweden and Tunisia will play their first 2026 FIFA World Cup match on Sunday, June 14th, at Estadio BBVA in Guadalupe, Mexico. For sponsorship reasons, the stadium will be known as Estadio Monterrey during the tournament and holds 53,500 fans. Completed in 2015, the stadium is the home ground of Liga MX side CF Monterrey and is famous for it's views of the Cerro de la Silla mountain.
Sweden then move from Mexico across the border to Texas, where they will face the Netherlands at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX. NRG Stadium, a 72,000-capacity stadium that will be named Houston Stadium during the FIFA World Cup, is the home of the Houston Texans NFL franchise.
Staying in the Lone Star State, Sweden will be completing their Group F campaign against Japan at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. AT&T Stadium, which will be named Dallas Stadium throughout the tournament, is the home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and houses 94,000 fans. Opening in 2009, it was one of the world's most expensive stadium at the time, costing $1.3 billion to build.
Sweden’s FIFA World Cup knockouts schedule
If Sweden win Group F, they will face the runners-up in Group C, which consists of Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, and Haiti. This round-of-32 game would take place on Monday, June 29th, 2026, back in Guadalupe. Kick-off is set at 21:00 local time (03:00 CEST on Tuesday, June 30th).
A second-place finish in Group F will mean Sweden face the winners of Group C. This match would take place on Monday, June 29th, at 12:00 local time (19:00 CEST) in Houston, TX.
Check out the full 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule in our article HERE >
With a third-place finish in Group F, Sweden could advance as one of the best third-placed teams in the tournament. The potential opponents wiould depend on which groups the progressing teams come from, and there are five potential venues for Sweden - Foxborough, East Rutherford, Santa Clara, Mexico City and Vancouver.
Sweden's FIFA World Cup preparation
In preparation for the FIFA World Cup, the Swedes will play friendly matches against neighbours Norway, who have returned to the finals after a 28-year absence, and Greece, who failed to qualify, before jetting off for Mexico.
The warm-up schedule is as follows:
Monday, 1st June: Norway - Sweden (19:00 CEST, Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo)
Thursday, 4th June: Sweden - Greece (kick-off time TBC, Strawberry Arena, Solna)
