Sweden is returning to the world stage after missing out on the 2018 World Cup (the Ibrahimović era) and the 2022 World Cup. With English manager Graham Potter, who took over in October 2025, a new chapter is beginning for Swedish football. Group F, featuring the Netherlands and Japan, presents a major challenge.

Manager Graham Potter has named three goalkeepers for the Blagult: Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Viktor Johansson and Jacob Widell Zetterström. All three play club football in England or Sweden – and all three share an unusually long history with the national team, which is heading into this tournament without a first-choice goalkeeper.

Nordfeldt’s story is one of the most remarkable of this World Cup. Since making his international debut in January 2011, he spent over 15 years as second or third-choice goalkeeper, sitting on the bench at the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020. When Robin Olsen left the national team under then-manager Tomasson, a door opened that had long since closed for many. Manager Graham Potter turned to the 36-year-old and made him the number one. In the decisive play-off matches against Ukraine (a 1–3 win for Sweden) and Poland (3–2 in the final), Nordfeldt was in goal – and delivered. These were only his 19th and 20th international caps in total, and his fifth and sixth in competitive matches.

At AIK in the Allsvenskan, he is captain and a leading figure. He will be celebrating the 2026 World Cup during the tournament at the age of 37, making him one of the oldest first-choice goalkeepers in the entire tournament.

Johansson, aged 27 and currently playing for Stoke City in the Championship, is the designated second-choice goalkeeper. He has made 24 appearances this season – an impressive tally in the English second tier. Johansson was Sweden’s first-choice goalkeeper for many years under various managers, but had to make way for Nordfeldt, who was surprisingly given the nod. With a contract at Stoke running until 2027 and his career continuing to go from strength to strength, he is the Potters’ clear second choice and a potential successor to Nordfeldt.

Zetterström, aged 27, moved from Djurgården to Derby County in 2024 and established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper in the Championship. This season, he has made 28 league appearances between the posts. He brings with him a wealth of Allsvenskan experience and European Conference League experience, and is Potter’s third-choice goalkeeper.