Sweden Drawn in Strong Group for 2027 Women's World Cup Qualifiers Amid Key Player Injury Concerns

Sweden’s women’s national football team has been drawn into a qualifying group for the 2027 Women’s World Cup alongside Italy, Denmark, and Serbia. The tournament itself will be hosted by Brazil, with qualifiers set to commence at the end of February 2026. According to Expressen, this group is reminiscent of Sweden’s recent Nations League opponents, and notably, the team has avoided facing heavyweights England and the Netherlands during qualifying. Group winners in League A qualify directly for the World Cup, while second and third-place teams enter a playoff phase.

On the men’s front, the Swedish national team faces a setback as striker Viktor Gyökeres is likely to miss the upcoming World Cup qualifiers due to a muscle injury sustained in a match against Burnley. The Athletic reports that Gyökeres’ injury is more severe than initially thought, and he is expected to miss several matches including the next league game against Sunderland. Coach Graham Potter is also managing other absences with key players like Alexander Isak, Lucas Bergvall, and Dejan Kulusevski sidelined. Gyökeres might return by the November 23 derby against Tottenham. Sweden’s upcoming qualifiers are scheduled against Switzerland on November 15 and Slovenia on November 18.

Head coach Tony Gustavsson expressed optimism about the women's qualifying group, emphasizing the opportunities ahead for Sweden to secure direct entry to the tournament by topping their group. This comes on the heels of Sweden’s strong 2023 World Cup performance, where they reached the semifinals before earning bronze. The qualifiers will be crucial for maintaining Sweden’s competitive stature on the international stage.

Both the favorable draw for the women's team and injury concerns impacting key male players highlight the mixed challenges and opportunities Sweden faces as they prepare for their respective World Cup campaigns.