[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"football-site-config":3,"world-cup-status-en":27,"news-detail-sweden-can-surprise-gyokeres-and-potter-s-world-cup-revival":61,"news-related-sweden-can-surprise-gyokeres-and-potter-s-world-cup-revival-en":98,"news-related-match-sweden-can-surprise-gyokeres-and-potter-s-world-cup-revival-en":26},{"adSlots":4,"affiliateMode":5,"brandName":6,"contentStrategy":7,"currency":8,"friendLinks":9,"homepageLayoutKey":10,"leagueFocus":11,"locale":12,"planVisibility":13,"seoDescription":14,"seoTitleTemplate":15,"siteCode":10,"siteName":6,"siteType":10,"subscriptionMode":5,"timezone":16,"id":17,"tenantID":18,"primaryDomain":19,"countryCode":20,"logoUrl":21,"faviconUrl":21,"theme":22,"seoKeywords":24,"status":25,"ads":4,"focusLeagues":26,"affiliatePolicies":26},[],"shared","Football Prediction Platform","scores_predictions","USD",[],"main",[],"en-US",[],"Football fixtures, results, free predictions, subscriptions, and clearly labeled partner links.","{page} | Football Prediction Platform","America\u002FNew_York",323900000000000000,1,"football.easytestdev.online","US","",{"primaryColor":23},"#1677ff","football predictions, football fixtures, football results","active",null,{"active":28,"leagueId":29,"leagueName":30,"leagueImagePath":31,"seasonId":32,"seasonName":33,"startingAt":34,"endingAt":35,"daysToStart":36,"daysToEnd":37,"phase":38,"includeQualifying":39,"hostCities":40},true,"326135624916537344","World Cup","https:\u002F\u002Fmedia.api-sports.io\u002Ffootball\u002Fleagues\u002F1.png","326255613308833792","2026\u002F2027","2026-06-11","2026-06-28",-37,-20,"finished_recent",false,[41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60],"Atlanta","Boston","Dallas","East Rutherford","Guadalajara","Houston","Kansas City","Los Angeles","Mexico City","Miami","Monterrey","New-York","New York New Jersey","Philadelphia","San-Francisco","San Francisco Bay Area","Seattle","Toronto","Vancouver","Zapopan",{"article":62},{"awayTeamId":-1,"awayTeamName":-1,"body":63,"category":64,"excerpt":65,"homeTeamId":-1,"homeTeamName":-1,"id":66,"leagueId":67,"leagueName":68,"matchId":69,"matchName":21,"publishedAt":70,"slug":71,"sourceName":72,"sourceURL":73,"teamId":74,"teamName":75,"teamIds":76,"teamNames":87,"title":97},"Sweden’s road to the 2026 World Cup has been nothing short of a footballing fairy tale. After a disastrous qualifying campaign that yielded just two points from six matches, the Blågult seemed destined to miss out on North America. But the appointment of Graham Potter, the Englishman with deep roots in Swedish football, flipped the script entirely and reignited a nation’s hopes.\n\nThe qualifying group stage under Jon Dahl Tomasson was a nightmare. Sweden managed only a single point from their first four outings before a 1-0 defeat in Kosovo sealed Tomasson’s fate in October 2025. The Swedish FA turned to Potter, who had made his name at Östersund between 2011 and 2017, taking the club from the fourth tier to the Allsvenskan, winning the Swedish Cup, and famously beating Arsenal in the Europa League. Potter quickly shifted the team’s approach to a more traditional Swedish identity: a resolute 5-3-2 formation that prioritized defensive solidity and devastating counterattacks.\n\nThe Nations League playoffs offered a lifeline, and Sweden seized it with both hands. In the semi-final in Spain, Viktor Gyökeres erupted with a stunning hat-trick to sink Ukraine 3-1. The final against Poland was a nerve-shredding affair, but Gyökeres again proved the difference, heading home an 88th-minute winner in a 3-2 thriller. Potter was left speechless: “Just the best night I’ve had in football. Incredible, like I was having some sort of out-of-body experience.” With that, Sweden completed an improbable qualification, having scraped together just two points from their original six group matches.\n\nNow they head to the main event with a group that offers both opportunity and peril. Sweden face Tunisia on 14 June in Monterrey, the Netherlands on 20 June in Houston, and Japan on 25 June in Dallas. The schedule is punishing, but the momentum of the playoff miracle could carry them into the knockout rounds.\n\nInjury and form concerns, however, cloud the buildup. Captain Dejan Kulusevski is ruled out with injury, a massive blow given his creative influence. Alexander Isak’s situation is equally troubling; after a record-breaking £125 million move from Newcastle to Liverpool made him the most expensive transfer in Premier League history, he has struggled for consistency and fitness. He did score as a substitute in a worrying 3-1 friendly defeat to Norway on 1 June, but doubts linger over whether he can lead the line effectively.\n\nPotter’s connection to Sweden goes deeper than tactics. In October 2025, he gave an interview to Fotbollskanalen that was effectively a love letter to the country, saying, “I love Sweden and Swedish football.” Within days he was appointed, and despite failing to win his first two games, the Swedish FA was so impressed that they extended his contract until 2030. Fluent in Swedish, Potter sees the role as redemption after challenging spells at Chelsea and West Ham.\n\nWhile Isak remains a question mark, Gyökeres has emerged as the undisputed talisman. The Arsenal forward initially struggled in London but has found his groove, scoring four of Sweden’s six playoff goals. His celebration—mimicking Bane from The Dark Knight Rises—went viral across the country after the Poland winner, cementing his folk-hero status.\n\nBeyond the stars, others could shape Sweden’s campaign. Celtic winger Benjamin Nygren offers flair, but the real intrigue surrounds Gustaf Lagerbielke. The Braga centre-back, who also holds the title of baron and is 254th in line to the Swedish throne, delivered a colossal performance in the Poland final: a thunderous header and a masterclass in keeping Robert Lewandowski quiet. A move to a big-five league could follow a strong World Cup. In midfield, Jesper Karlström’s story of overcoming a gambling addiction to become Udinese’s captain adds emotional depth. His composure and tackling will be vital against the technical prowess of the Netherlands and Japan.\n\nSwedish fans are set to bring color and noise. Known for traveling in huge numbers, they’ll sing “Kanna på,” a drinking anthem about never-ending beer pitchers, and engage in friendly banter with rivals. The yellow-and-blue invasion promises to be one of the tournament’s vibrant subplots.\n\nThe team’s journey even has a bizarre political footnote. In 2017, then-president Trump infamously cited a non-existent terror incident in Sweden, later blaming a Fox News report. Swedish paper Aftonbladet dryly noted that the day in question featured such dramas as a singer’s rehearsal issues, a man setting himself on fire, and road closures due to harsh weather. For Sweden, the real drama has unfolded on the pitch.\n\nAgainst all logic, Sweden arrive in North America with genuine hope. The Potter effect has transformed a team that looked broken into one capable of springing surprises. While the group is tough, with the Netherlands and Japan heavily favored, the resilience and counterattacking threat embodied by Gyökeres give Sweden a puncher’s chance. Based on reporting from The Guardian.","news","After a disastrous qualifying with only two points, Sweden's World Cup hopes revived by Potter and Gyökeres, now face Netherlands, Tunisia, Japan.","337528369769877505","326135625054949376","Premier League","0","2026-06-03T07:00:46Z","sweden-can-surprise-gyokeres-and-potter-s-world-cup-revival","The Guardian","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Ffootball\u002F2026\u002Fjun\u002F03\u002Fsweden-world-cup-2026-team-guide","326222711535702016","Sweden",[74,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86],"326222712496197632","326255038634659840","326257545754710016","326257545918287872","326257610074361856","326257546153168896","326222712177430528","326257539471642624","326222711745417216","326257686389723136",[75,88,89,90,91,51,92,93,94,95,96],"Netherlands","Lech Poznan","Newcastle","Liverpool","West Ham","Tunisia","Udinese","Japan","Together","Sweden Can Surprise: Gyökeres and Potter's World Cup Revival",[99,129,158,185],{"awayTeamId":-1,"awayTeamName":-1,"body":-1,"category":64,"excerpt":100,"homeTeamId":-1,"homeTeamName":-1,"id":101,"leagueId":67,"leagueName":68,"matchId":69,"matchName":21,"publishedAt":102,"slug":103,"sourceName":104,"sourceURL":105,"teamId":106,"teamName":107,"teamIds":108,"teamNames":118,"title":128},"Pierre Sage is set to join Crystal Palace after leading Lens to Coupe de France glory. Sporting director Jean-Louis Leca must now find a successor and reshape","338193111534538753","2026-06-05T03:15:00Z","pierre-sage-to-crystal-palace-what-it-means-for-lens","L'Equipe","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.lequipe.fr\u002FFootball\u002FArticle\u002FPierre-sage-sur-le-depart-jean-louis-leca-le-directeur-sportif-de-lens-va-avoir-plusieurs-chantiers-a-gerer\u002F1681831#at_medium=RSS_feeds","326257536443355136","Lens",[106,109,110,111,112,113,114,115,116,117],"326255037950988288","326257535952621568","326257572367568896","326257602382008320","326222711447621632","326257536049090560","326222712726884352","326222711682502656","326257844615647232",[107,119,120,121,122,123,124,125,126,127],"Crystal Palace","Marseille","Le Mans","Vitesse","France","Nice","Cape Verde Islands","England","Ajaccio","Pierre Sage to Crystal Palace: What It Means for Lens",{"awayTeamId":-1,"awayTeamName":-1,"body":-1,"category":64,"excerpt":130,"homeTeamId":-1,"homeTeamName":-1,"id":131,"leagueId":67,"leagueName":68,"matchId":69,"matchName":21,"publishedAt":132,"slug":133,"sourceName":72,"sourceURL":134,"teamId":135,"teamName":136,"teamIds":137,"teamNames":147,"title":157},"Chris Wood's serious knee injury clouds New Zealand's World Cup hopes as the All Whites face Iran, Egypt, and Belgium in Group G.","338128485845307393","2026-06-04T23:01:18Z","new-zealand-s-2026-world-cup-bid-wood-injury-a-major-doubt","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Ffootball\u002F2026\u002Fjun\u002F05\u002Fnew-zealand-world-cup-2026-team-guide","326222713104371712","New Zealand",[135,138,139,140,141,142,143,79,144,145,146],"326257546392244224","326257595583041536","326222712622026752","326257808754348032","326257660145963008","326222711976103936","326222712013852672","326222712265510912","326222711401484288",[136,148,149,150,151,152,153,90,154,155,156],"Nottingham Forest","New Caledonia","South Africa","Northampton","Motherwell","Australia","Iran","Egypt","Belgium","New Zealand's 2026 World Cup Bid: Wood Injury a Major Doubt",{"awayTeamId":-1,"awayTeamName":-1,"body":-1,"category":64,"excerpt":159,"homeTeamId":-1,"homeTeamName":-1,"id":160,"leagueId":67,"leagueName":68,"matchId":69,"matchName":21,"publishedAt":161,"slug":162,"sourceName":72,"sourceURL":163,"teamId":164,"teamName":165,"teamIds":166,"teamNames":175,"title":184},"Spain 1-1 Iraq: Yamal injury concern as eight debutants feature in World Cup warm-up. Torres gave lead but Doski's long-range stunner equalized. Depth tested.","338113367510093825","2026-06-04T22:04:33Z","spain-1-1-iraq-what-yamal-s-absence-squad-rotation-mean","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Ffootball\u002F2026\u002Fjun\u002F04\u002Fspain-iraq-friendly-international-match-report","326222711653142528","Spain",[164,167,168,169,170,171,172,173,174],"326257593141956608","326257565195309056","326222711908995072","326222713142120448","326222712819159040","326222707169431552","326222712395534336","326257565233057792",[165,176,177,178,179,180,181,182,183],"Chattanooga","Barcelona","Mexico","Canada","Iraq","Anderlecht","Norway","Atletico Madrid","Spain 1-1 Iraq: What Yamal's Absence & Squad Rotation Mean",{"awayTeamId":-1,"awayTeamName":-1,"body":-1,"category":64,"excerpt":186,"homeTeamId":-1,"homeTeamName":-1,"id":187,"leagueId":67,"leagueName":68,"matchId":69,"matchName":21,"publishedAt":188,"slug":189,"sourceName":190,"sourceURL":191,"teamId":192,"teamName":193,"teamIds":194,"teamNames":202,"title":210},"NI's youngest post-WWII side (avg age 22.1) beat Guinea 1-0 with Atcheson scoring and sent off, while Morrison debuted, showing grit before facing France.","338103552524161025","2026-06-04T21:18:17Z","ni-record-youth-side-show-grit-22-1-avg-age-beats-guinea","BBC Sport","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fsport\u002Ffootball\u002Farticles\u002Fc7v9ve8415mo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","326257664243798016","Northern Ireland",[192,195,80,196,197,109,198,199,200,201,113],"326257791738056704","326257545968619520","326257808385249280","326257807630274560","326257664713560064","326257664403181568","326257808158756864",[193,203,91,204,205,119,206,207,208,209,123],"Guinea","Arsenal","Sheffield Wednesday","Southampton","Luxembourg","Gibraltar","Blackburn","NI Record Youth Side Show Grit: 22.1 Avg Age Beats Guinea"]