Sweden have failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup via UEFA’s qualification tournament, and that failure was locked in before they kicked off against Slovenia on Tuesday in what turned out to be a 1-1
draw for the Nordic side. However, they aren’t entirely out of the World Cup running just yet.
Their Nations League performance, where they won their group, had them in the mix to be included in a supplemental playoff next year, and following the final round of qualifiers that has now been confirmed by UEFA. With that as background, it was clear heading into Tuesday’s game that’s where their focus was.
As such, when Liverpool striker Alexander Isak was kept on the bench through the final whistle on Tuesday, initial injury or fitness concerns were quelled by a simple explanation—Isak was at risk of being ruled out due to yellow card accumulation, which re-set after the final whistle on Tuesday.
If Sweden had taken the dead rubber match more seriously and Isak had played and picked up a yellow, he would have been ruled out of the the first game of what will be a home-and-home playoff. It would have been an additional blow for a side that, thanks to their poor return in qualifying, will be a Pot 4 side.
In the qualification playoff, 16 countries—the 12 second place finishers from qualification plus four Nations League sides—will be placed in four pots. Pot 4 sides will draw Pot 1 sides and play the second leg away. The eight winners will then be drawn and the four winners of those ties will qualify.
