Sweden qualified for the 2026 World Cup through the Nations League, becoming the only team to do so

The Sweden national team became the only participant of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to qualify through the Nations League.

In the main qualification tournament, Sweden performed poorly, finishing last (fourth) in their group, which included Switzerland, Slovenia, and Kosovo. However, winning Group C1 in the Nations League allowed the Scandinavian team to advance to the playoffs.

In the decisive qualification stage, Sweden defeated Ukraine and Poland, securing their place in the World Cup.

In total, three teams from the Nations League took part in the European playoffs — Sweden, Romania, and North Macedonia. However, only Sweden advanced further, alongside Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, and Turkey, which had reached the playoffs by finishing second in their qualifying groups.

It is worth noting that in 2024, Sweden won their group in Nations League Division C without suffering a single defeat.

In the European playoff final, Sweden defeated Poland 3–2. The winning goal was scored by Viktor Gyökeres in the 88th minute.

The new 2026/27 Nations League campaign will start in September 2026 and will impact qualification for Euro 2028, where more slots for the final tournament will be available.