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Graham Potter, the Englishman who couldn’t buy a win during his final months at Chelsea, just delivered Sweden its first World Cup victory in eight years.
Sweden opened its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign on June 14 with a convincing 3-1 win over Tunisia, powered by goals from Yasin Ayari, Alexander Isak, and Viktor Gyokeres. It’s the first time Sweden has tasted World Cup success since the 2018 tournament in Russia.
A dominant display from the opening whistle
Ayari opened the scoring in just the seventh minute. Isak doubled the lead on the half-hour mark, and Gyokeres added a third in the 59th minute to effectively put the game beyond reach. Tunisia pulled one back, but it was little more than a consolation in a match Sweden controlled from start to finish.
The road to getting here was anything but smooth
Potter was appointed head coach on October 20, 2025, inheriting a squad that needed both tactical direction and a psychological reset. He became the first Englishman to manage Sweden at a World Cup since 1958.
The playoffs were where Potter’s Sweden truly announced themselves. They dispatched Ukraine 3-1 on March 26, 2026, a match in which Gyokeres helped himself to a hat-trick. Five days later, on March 31 in Stockholm, Sweden beat Poland 3-2 to seal their spot at the tournament.
“The best night of my career,” Potter said after the Poland victory.
Potter’s contract was extended through 2030 following the playoff success.
From Stamford Bridge to Stockholm
Potter’s time at Chelsea was brief and painful. The results didn’t come and Potter was dismissed after less than a season in charge.
The tactical identity under Potter has been evident from the start. Sweden press with intensity, transition quickly, and lean heavily on the quality of their attacking players in a system that gets the best out of Isak and Gyokeres.
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