Sweden delivered a statement performance at the 2026 World Cup, thrashing Tunisia 5-1 in their Group F opener at Estadio Monterrey in Mexico.
The result arrives as a significant moment for head coach Graham Potter, who suffered back-to-back sackings in his previous two jobs spanning a combined 15 months.
Potter was dismissed by West Ham in September after winning just six of his 23 Premier League games in charge of the east London club.
That followed an unsuccessful spell at Chelsea, where the job appeared too big for the Solihull-born coach after he had impressed at Brighton.
His appointment as Sweden boss came in October, after predecessor Jon Dahl Tomasson had left the nation’s World Cup qualifying hopes in tatters.
Sweden finished bottom of their qualifying group behind Switzerland, Kosovo and Slovenia, failing to win a single game across six attempts under the Dane.
Potter arrived too late to reverse the damage but guided Sweden through the play-offs, beating Ukraine and Poland to reach the tournament in the United States.
Tuesday’s five-goal showing against Tunisia was already more than the four Sweden scored throughout their entire qualifying group stage campaign.
“You never know, that’s the truth,” said Potter after the match. “You never know how things are going to go. We were optimistic because we felt confident in the work.”
“But until the game is played you don’t know for sure. That’s the beauty of sport. We are delighted with how we performed tonight and it’s a great start for us.”
The Swedes were powered by a devastating attacking partnership between Liverpool’s Alexander Isak and Arsenal frontman Viktor Gyokeres, with the pair assisting each other for their respective goals.
The return to full fitness of Isak, valued at £125m, represents a major boost for Potter as Sweden look to build momentum in the competition.
Gyokeres and Isak form an expensive yet formidable attacking combination that will cause any nation problems if they continue to click in this fashion.
Potter has form in Sweden, having famously taken Ostersunds FK from the fourth tier of Swedish football to the top flight, winning the domestic cup and guiding the club into European competition.
“I feel very Swedish when I’m working,” Potter told BBC Sport before the tournament. “I even look a bit Swedish. Two of my children were born in Sweden. I had seven unforgettable years at Ostersunds, with memories that will stay with me for life.”
“I came from the fourth tier of Swedish football, which is quite low, and worked my way up through the system to the Allsvenskan. You almost become Swedish in a coaching sense because of the experiences you have.”
“Now I’m working for the Swedish FA as head coach of the national team, so I feel very Swedish.”
Potter appears visibly refreshed in this role compared to his later years in English football, where he became increasingly bristly with the media during high-pressured spells at Chelsea and West Ham.
Sweden’s next assignment is a significantly sterner examination, with the Netherlands, considered one of the tournament favourites, arriving on Saturday at 18:00 BST.
“We just focus on what we can do, we focus on our performances,” Potter said. “It doesn’t matter what people think from the outside or opinions.”
“We will meet another top team at the weekend who are one of the favourites for the competition.”
Sweden’s two best World Cup finishes were third-placed efforts in 1958 and 1994, the latter also staged on American soil, which offers encouraging historical parallels for Potter’s side.
