Sweden news

Robert Lewandowski’s illustrious international career could be nearing a sudden conclusion after Poland suffered a devastating defeat to Sweden in their 2026 World Cup playoff final. The veteran Barcelona striker was seen in tears on the pitch following the narrow loss, which officially ended the nation's hopes of qualifying for the global tournament held in North America.

Robert Lewandowski’s dreams of a final World Cup appearance were cruelly extinguished as Poland suffered a dramatic play-off defeat to Sweden in Stockholm. Despite a resilient performance from Jan Urban’s side, a late strike from Viktor Gyokeres secured Sweden's place in this summer's global showpiece, leaving 37-year-old Barcelona striker Lewandowski visibly devastated at the final whistle.

GOAL breaks down all the confirmed qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, plus the teams who could soon be on their way.

How to watch the World Cup Qualification UEFA match between Sweden and Poland, as well as kick-off time and team news

Tottenham's creative spark Dejan Kulusevski is finally ready to put his injury nightmare behind him. The Swedish international has been on the sidelines since May 2025, after suffering a right kneecap injury against Crystal Palace. What was originally diagnosed as a minor setback that would only require a few weeks of rest turned into a gruelling, months-long period of rehabilitation and frustration for the former Juventus man.

Viktor Gyokeres was the hero for Sweden on Thursday night as the Arsenal forward's clinical hat-trick secured a 3-1 victory over Ukraine. The result keeps Sweden's dreams of reaching the 2026 World Cup alive, setting up a winner-takes-all play-off showdown with Poland.

Bad news is coming from the national teams for the Nerazzurri.

The final international window before the end of the 2025-26 club season is here. For most of the globe's traditional powerhouses, this month is about finetuning ahead of the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. But not every team has the luxury of such forward planning, with several big-hitters still yet to punch their ticket to the tournament.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic decided against bringing his unique brand of “chaos” to the dugout as a coach, with former AC Milan team-mate Massimo Ambrosini telling GOAL why “ego” management led the enigmatic Swede down a different path. The former striker, who retired at the age of 41, is now working as an advisor to the Rossoneri board at San Siro.

How to watch the World Cup Qualification UEFA match between Ukraine and Sweden, as well as kick-off time and team news

Sweden head coach Graham Potter has responded to Benfica manager Jose Mourinho after the Portuguese boss questioned the omission of left-back Samuel Dahl from the national squad. Mourinho expressed surprise at the decision, prompting a firm yet composed explanation from the English coach ahead of their crucial World Cup play-off match against Ukraine.

Tottenham forward Dejan Kulusevski is set to link up with the Sweden national team ahead of their 2026 World Cup playoff despite his ongoing injury struggles. The winger has been sidelined for nearly a year following a serious knee injury suffered last season.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has warned fans to temper their expectations regarding Alexander Isak's return. The British-record signing has endured a nightmare debut season at Anfield following a series of fitness setbacks and a long-term leg injury ,with Slot now having provided the latest on his recovery.