World European Preliminaries-Switzerland VS Sweden: Is it a mess? Sweden, bottom of the group, also enters the play-offs

In the European Group Stage of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, there are four teams in Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, and Kosovo. In terms of lineup strength, Sweden is the strongest, with the total value of the team reaching 516 million euros. Switzerland has 240 million euros, Slovenia has 165 million euros, and Kosovo has 131 million euros. Together, the three companies are almost the same as Sweden.

But who would have thought that after the first 4 rounds of the group stage, Sweden would be at the bottom with 4 games, 1 draw and 3 losses?

Switzerland VS Sweden

Nature of the match: Round 5 of Group B of the World Cup European Group Stage

Match time: November 16, 3:45

In Group B, Switzerland currently ranks first with 10 points from 4 games, 3 wins, 1 draw, Kosovo ranks second with 7 points from 4 games, 2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss. Slovenia ranks third with 3 points from 4 games, 3 draws, 1 loss, and Sweden ranks bottom with 1 point from 4 games, 0 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses.

With two rounds left in the group stage, Sweden is 9 points behind top-placed Switzerland and has lost the chance to advance directly as the first in the group. Competing for second place in the group is enough. It is 6 points behind Kosovo and 4 points behind on goal difference. Even if Kosovo loses all the last two rounds and Sweden wins the last two rounds, the goal difference may not be able to catch up.

However, Sweden has already secured qualification for the European play-offs of the World Cup preliminaries in advance, thanks to their previous performance in the UEFA Nations League C-League group. In the first game of Group L of the European Group Stage of the World Cup Qualifiers, Croatia defeated the Faroe Islands 3:1 at home, ensuring first place in the group and allowing the Czech Republic to secure second place in the group and qualify for the play-offs. In this way, the seven higher-ranked UEFA Nations League group champions also ensure play-off qualification.

Sweden's current forward line is luxurious, including Isak, the Premier League's golden boot last season, Jokeres, the Portuguese Premier League's golden boot last season, and Ilanga, who played for Nottingham Forest last season and is playing for Newcastle this season. However, in the four World Cup preliminaries, Sweden only scored one goal and conceded 7 goals. Isaac and Jokres failed to score a single goal.

It's hard to say that Sweden deliberately messed up because it was safe to enter the play-offs. Qualifying for the play-offs does not mean that you can advance to the World Cup. If you have the opportunity to compete for the first place in the qualifying group stage and directly advance, why would you give up?

The results are dismal. There are problems with the players and coaches. Isaac, Yockers and even Ilanga, as well as the brothers on the back line, were obviously out of shape. After losing 1 draw and 3 losses in the first 4 games of the World Cup preliminaries, coach Thomason has been fired, and he was replaced by Porter. What the former Premier League coach needs to do is not to win dignity in the last two rounds of the group stage, but to reshape the temperament of this team and play the play-offs seriously.

Since the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, Sweden has played in the qualifying play-offs four times in a row. In the previous three times, it only advanced to the main draw after eliminating Italy in the play-offs in 2018, and was eliminated in the other two times.

For Switzerland, defeating Sweden at home in this round will basically guarantee first place in the group. Switzerland's current goal difference is 10 goals more than Kosovo.

Switzerland and Sweden have met twice in the past two times, with 1 win and 1 loss. In the 1/8 finals of the 2018 World Cup, Sweden eliminated Switzerland 1:0. In the first round of this World Cup qualifying match, Switzerland defeated Sweden 2:0 away from home.

In this battle, Switzerland, which plays at home, is more promising.