2026 World Cup: France are "the worst possible draw" for Sweden

Ahead of Sweden's clash with France successful the last-32 signifier of the 2026 World Cup, Sports Mole's Football Editor Matt Law discusses if Graham Potter's broadside tin harm the tourney favourites.

Matt Law, Football Editor: 'That is my existent interest for Sweden successful this game'

It is simply a large stroke (losing Isak Hien): a subordinate of that prime and experience. There are existent suggestions the wounded is simply a truly atrocious one. 

The Sweden squad doc said helium could beryllium distant from shot for immoderate time, truthful it is not conscionable going to support him retired for a fewer weeks. You could archer from the player's absorption however superior it was. 

When teams suffer players of that importance, determination is nary like-for-like replacement. Lindelof played a batch successful midfield for Villa past play and helium played successful midfield against Japan, truthful helium would apt driblet backmost into the backmost three. 

But Victor Lindelof was notoriously susceptible astatine Manchester United against speedy attackers moving successful down him. If you are going to look immoderate broadside with that benignant of gait successful this World Cup, the worst imaginable gully would beryllium France. That is my existent interest for Sweden successful this game. 

They person been large amusive to watch, though that is possibly not the champion happening to accidental astir a side, arsenic it astir apt means they are doing good successful immoderate games and getting a hammering successful others. 

That is precisely what happened: 5-1 1 way, 5-1 the other, past the 1-1 draw. The gully against Japan is simply a decent effect fixed Japan are a truly bully side. But it is simply a large inquire for Sweden. 

They request their guardant players to play good and they request to beryllium choky defensively. They would astir request to instrumentality this to a shootout, due to the fact that going end-to-end against France is not what you want. 

Sweden bash not person the unit to truly beryllium successful and marque it hard for France. 

They are going to person to usage their champion players successful the last third, and that makes it truly pugnacious against that French attack. Sweden request Elanga, Isak, and Gyokeres to person outstanding games. 

The cardinal question is whether Gyokeres tin isolate Saliba and let Isak and Elanga to onslaught the different players successful the French defense. 

Upamecano is besides a apical centre-back with a batch of gait and strength. Gyokeres has 1 extremity and 2 assists successful 3 games: 3 extremity contributions from a guardant whose squad is not 1 of the favourites is beauteous good. 

These are the games that truly measurement however bully you are. Sweden person had immoderate truly apical strikers historically, with Ibrahimovic and Larsson lasting out, and Isak comes successful disconnected the backmost of a truly hard play astatine Liverpool. 

Isak has 18 goals for the nationalist broadside and Gyokeres has 21 successful 36 games, which is simply a truly bully planetary record. They conscionable request their guardant players to play good and marque it truly hard for the French defence, which they are much than susceptible of doing. 

My interest for Sweden is whether they person the players down that to halt France going the different way.