Tremors for World Cup qualification
“This performance was a betrayal”
Updated on September 12, 2025 – 4:59 p.m.Reading time: 5 min.
The World Cup qualification in Europe is more than bumpy for some major football nations. It can already be tight-T-Online explains who has to tremble in the competition early on.
The judgments could not be clearer. “A single joke” was said in the past few days. “One of the most severe defeats in history.” Or: “A result for ashamed.”
The mood in Sweden, Turkey, Hungary and Ukraine was much better than after the disappointing, sometimes sobering results in the World Cup qualification of the past few days. For the four football nations, it could now be very scarce with participation in the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico – the disaster threatens. Because: For direct participation in the World Cup finals, only the group win, the second-placed games in playoffs out the other teams-but even second place could be scarce.
T-online gives an overview:
In the 0: 2 against Kosovo, the “Tre Kronor” embarrassed themselves to the bones. The daily newspaper “Dagens Nyheter” wrote after the game on Monday in Pristina: “The new Swedish national team wants to be fun and entertained – and that also works very well. Sweden is a single joke.” And further: “Unfortunately, the offer is still the purest crap.”
The team of the former Danish attacker Jon Dahl Tomasson is particularly busy on the offensive. In the duo from Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres, Sweden has a 210 million euro storm. ISAK had recently switched to FC Liverpool for 145 million euros from Newcastle United, Gyökeres for over 65 million euros from Sporting to Arsenal. “Rarely had a Swedish national team had so many so many talented players who were so convinced of what they were doing. And that came out?” Asked the newspaper “Express”. Even more: “This performance was a betrayal. Of all of everyone and everything that everyone believed that this team could reach.”
The offensive stayed pale on Monday. The “Gothenborgs post” already judged the coach: “Tomasson relied on attack football with offensive player types. Instead, he has transformed Sweden into the most naive national soccer team in the world in a year and a half.” And fared in doom scenarios: “It can hardly be worse than a 0: 2 against Kosovo, but on the other hand it is impossible that Tomasson’s Sweden will catch up in this World Cup qualification. It’s over.”