Graham Potter has described Sweden's World Cup playoff victory against Poland as 'the best night I've had in football', after a dramatic turnaround that saw the team qualify for next year's finals in North America. The former Chelsea and West Ham manager took over a side in disarray last year, with Sweden bottom of their qualifying group and having lost three consecutive matches without scoring.
Sweden's path to the World Cup was unconventional. After a poor campaign in Nations League B in 2022-23, they were relegated to League C. However, topping their group in 2024-25 – ahead of Slovakia, Estonia and Azerbaijan – earned them a second chance through the Nations League repechage system. Potter acknowledged the fortune but insisted they had seized the opportunity.
The transformation under Potter has been remarkable. Since taking charge in March, Sweden have recorded wins against Ukraine and Poland, the latter secured by a late Viktor Gyökeres goal. 'It shows how football and life can change,' Potter said. 'You think you've hit the bottom and just then … the darkest hour is right before the dawn.'
Potter, who previously led Östersund from the lower divisions to the Swedish Cup, has been embraced by Swedish fans. He brought his children, wearing Sweden kits, to the post-match press conference and was keen to share credit with his staff and players. 'Where the team was, the injuries, trying to bring everything together, the negative place the team was in, it's been an incredible challenge,' he added.
