Injury stops him
Bundesliga player has to leave the national team
Updated March 31, 2026 – 4:09 amReading time: 1 min.
On Tuesday it’s all about the World Cup ticket for Sweden. However, a possible debutant has to cancel the game.
For the fifth time in a row, Bundesliga player Eric Smith has been denied a chance to play for Sweden. The 29-year-old left the national team camp due to muscular calf problems and is returning to FC St. Pauli in Hamburg. There he faces further examinations.
In the semi-final against Ukraine, coach Graham Potter did not use the defensive player – Sweden won 3-1. Smith will be out again for the playoff final against Poland. At a press event he had already commented on his previous failures: “That wasn’t funny at all.”
On Tuesday (from 8:45 p.m. in the live ticker on t-online) Sweden will meet Poland in Solna near Stockholm. A win would secure World Cup qualification. The tournament begins on June 11th in the USA, Mexico and Canada. In addition to Smith, defender Isak Hien from Atalanta Bergamo is also missing. Victor Eriksson from Hammarby IF took his place. The remaining Bundesliga faction in the squad is Daniel Svensson from Borussia Dortmund, Hugo Larsson from Eintracht Frankfurt and Mattias Svanberg from VfL Wolfsburg.
