Graham Potter says Sweden's World Cup play-off final is an 'amazing opportunity'

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sweden/OQyqbHWB/"]Sweden[/a] were so bad in Group B that they finished fourth behind [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/switzerland/rHJ2vy1B/"]‌Switzerland[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kosovo/v1DTPQwI/"]Kosovo[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/slovenia/tfMf3PoO/"]Slovenia[/a], with whom they drew twice, and they flopped ‌so badly in their first four games that coach [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tomasson-jon-dahl/M5iyzP2o/"]Jon Dahl Tomasson[/a] became the first ‌men's head coach to be sacked by the Swedish football association (SvFF).[/p][p][b]"It just ‌feels like an amazing opportunity. We have the opportunity because what the team did in the Nations League. So we are where we are, and now we've got one game to ‌play to get to the World Cup, which is ⁠a dream,"[/b] Graham Potter, who took over ‌after Tomasson, told a media conference on Monday.[/p][p]"We've seen it as a positive opportunity, and ​we're looking forward to it."[/p][p]Potter led Sweden in their last two qualifiers, losing 4-1 in Switzerland and drawing with Slovenia at home, but ​in the end it turned out those results were immaterial as their victory in Nations League Group C1 - the third tier of the UEFA competition - threw them ⁠a lifeline.[/p][p]For the European playoffs, ​the 12 runners-up in the group stage of World Cup qualifying were joined by four Nations League group winners who finished outside the top two in their groups, based on the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League interim overall ranking, and the Swedes were ‌among those four teams.[/p][embed guid="99523f59-83b4-4a6e-a079-f60f155b7aac" url="https://x.com/FootRankings/status/2037846410453029302" social-type="twitter" /][h2]Playoff win over Ukraine[/h2][p]Having beaten [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/slovakia/KpLb2q1U/"]Slovakia[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/estonia/YJwM4R15/"]Estonia[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/azerbaijan/UTJj1saj/"]Azerbaijan[/a] to win their Nations League group, the Swedes secured a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/sweden-OQyqbHWB/ukraine-j1JtDMwo/?mid=YT2GZZ9N"]3-1 playoff win[/a] over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ukraine/j1JtDMwo/"]Ukraine[/a] in Valencia last week to stand on the cusp of a return to North America, where they came third in the 1994 tournament held on U.S. soil.[/p][p][b]"We're obviously very happy and pleased that we got this opportunity, even though the qualification games weren't as good as we hoped,"[/b] Sweden captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lindelof-victor/OIp0Le1f/"]Victor Lindelof[/a] said.[/p][p][b]"The Nations League and the results we got there obviously gave us this opportunity ... obviously very ‌pleased and happy to be in this situation."[/b][/p][p]After being booed by their home ​fans earlier in the campaign, Lindelof expects an entirely different welcome when ‌he leads his team out at the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/poland-2HzmcynI/sweden-OQyqbHWB/?mid=pEpXAtm1"]sold-out Strawberry Arena on Tuesday[/a] to face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/poland/2HzmcynI/"]Poland[/a].[/p][p][b]"It's always extra nice to have fans behind us, and a packed arena where they give us energy. It means a lot for me, but it will mean a lot to all the guys too,"[/b] Lindelof ⁠said.[/p][p]"I think there are a lot ⁠of people who are looking forward ‌to going out on the field tomorrow and experiencing it."[/p]