Sweden coach Graham Potter announced his FIFA World Cup 2026 squad on Tuesday, but there was no place for Tottenham Hotspur forward Dejan Kulusevski, who has been out of the game for a year with a knee injury and has not recovered in time for the tournament.
There were no surprises in Potter’s 26-man squad, but many observers expected the 26-year-old Kulusevski to be included if there was any chance he could play a part, but the coach closed the door on what would have amounted to a miracle return.
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“A very, very difficult decision in terms of where he (Kulusevski) has been, what he’s done over the last year, where he’s at in terms of his rehab with four and a half weeks to go to that first game,” Potter told a media conference.
Sweden squad for FIFA World Cup 2026
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 Gyokeres (Arsenal), Jesper Karlstrom (Udinese), Gustaf Nilsson (Club Brugge), Benjamin Nygren (Celtic), Mattias Svanberg (VfL Wolfsburg), Besfort Zeneli (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise), Alexander Isak (Liverpool), Alexander Bernhardsson (Holstein Kiel), Ken Sema (Pafos
Kulusevski’s fellow forward Alexander Isak has also struggled with injury this past season, but the coach expects him to be able to deliver by the time the tournament gets underway.
Sweden endured a miserable qualifying campaign, finishing bottom of its group with two points, but its performance in UEFA Nations League Group C gave it a path through the playoffs, where it beat Ukraine and Poland to secure its spot at the finals.
Published on May 12, 2026
