Sweden Prepares for Challenging Hockey World Championship Quarterfinal Against Switzerland

Sweden's national ice hockey team, Tre Kronor, is set to face Switzerland in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Hockey World Championship on Thursday, May 28, at 20:20 local time. The match will take place at the Swiss Life Arena in Zurich, where Sweden will battle the host nation that has dominated the group stage with a perfect record of seven straight wins.

Switzerland enters this crucial quarterfinal with high hopes of securing their first-ever World Championship gold medal on home soil following four silver medals since 2013. They topped their group with an impressive goal difference of 39-7, including a dominant 9-0 win over Austria. Switzerland’s lineup features NHL stars like Roman Josi and Sven Andrighetto, the latter leading the scoring race with 13 points in the tournament.

Meanwhile, Sweden qualified for the quarterfinals following a 4-2 victory against Slovakia. Despite a slow start, Sweden rallied after Anton Frondell equalized and ultimately prevailed with a decisive empty-net goal by team captain and NHL player Oliver Ekman Larsson. Sweden finished the group stage with four wins and three losses, showing resilience and experience under coach Sam Hallam, who may be coaching his last match before stepping down.

Swedish players express both confidence and respect for their opponents. Forward Lucas Raymond looks forward to the intense atmosphere and crowd pressure, hoping it will fuel their performance, while promising young star Jack Berglund emphasizes the physical demands of his role screening the Swiss goalkeeper during powerplays. Berglund, who captained Sweden to gold at the Junior World Championship (JVM) this year, draws inspiration from hockey legend Tomas Holmström.

Goalkeeper Magnus Hellberg underlined the team’s mentality ahead of the match with a clear message: "We fight for gold or nothing." The Swedish squad aims to silence the supportive Swiss crowd and upset the home favorites, leveraging their historical dominance over Switzerland, having won all seven past World Championship encounters since 2013.

The quarterfinal match will be broadcast live on Viaplay and TV6, with pre-match coverage starting at 19:00. It marks a critical step for Sweden as they seek to advance to the semifinals against a formidable and motivated Swiss team on their home ice.