Sweden’s head coach Graham Potter has confirmed the exclusion of Tottenham Hotspur forward Dejan Kulusevski from the national squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup. The winger, sidelined for a year due to a knee injury, has not recovered sufficiently to participate in the tournament.
Despite hopes for a late comeback, Potter emphasized the difficulty of including Kulusevski with only four and a half weeks remaining before Sweden’s opening match. He explained that players need to be fully prepared before the competition begins, as there is little opportunity to build fitness during the tournament itself.
While the squad announcement contained no major surprises, Kulusevski’s absence was the most notable, given his key role when fully fit. In contrast, Liverpool forward Alexander Isak was named in the squad despite ongoing injury concerns. Potter expressed optimism about Isak’s recovery, highlighting the challenge of getting him into peak condition to perform at a world-class level.
Sweden faced a challenging qualifying phase, finishing last in their group with only two points. However, they secured their place at the World Cup through playoff victories against Ukraine and Poland in UEFA Nations League C. Potter described the qualification as an exciting achievement and praised the strong support from fans, expressing enthusiasm about building a competitive team for the tournament.
Sweden will open their Group F campaign on June 14 in Guadalupe, Mexico, against Tunisia. They will then face the Netherlands in Houston, Texas, followed by a match against Japan in Arlington, Texas.
The full Sweden World Cup squad includes:
Goalkeepers: Kristoffer Nordfeldt (AIK), Viktor Johansson (Stoke City), Jacob Widell Zetterström (Derby County)
Defenders: Daniel Svensson (Borussia Dortmund), Victor Lindelof (Aston Villa), Isak Hien (Atalanta), Carl Starfelt (Celta Vigo), Elliot Stroud (Mjallby AIF), Gustaf Lagerbielke (Braga), Gabriel Gudmundsson (Leeds United), Emil Holm (Juventus), Hjalmar Ekdal (Burnley), Erik Smith (St. Pauli)
Midfielders & Forwards: Taha Ali (Malmo FF), Yasin Ayari (Brighton & Hove Albion), Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham Hotspur), Anthony Elanga (Newcastle United), Viktor Gyökeres (Arsenal), Jesper Karlstrom (Udinese), Gustaf Nilsson (Club Brugge), Benjamin Nygren (Celtic), Mattias Svanberg (VfL Wolfsburg), Besfort Zeneli (Union Saint-Gilloise), Alexander Isak (Liverpool), Alexander Bernhardsson (Holstein Kiel), Ken Sema (Pafos)
