World Cup 2018: Sweden team profile
Thursday 22 March 2018 15:24, UK
From fixtures and fun facts to the key men, all you need to know about Sweden ahead of this summer's World Cup.
Manager: Janne Andersson
Star man: Andreas Granqvist - Named Sweden's player of the year in 2017, the national team captain has been a rock in their defence since 2006.
How they qualified: Secured a 1-0 aggregate victory over Italy in the European play-offs, having finished runners-up to France in Group A.
History: 11 appearances since first featuring in 1934. Lost the 1958 final on home soil to Brazil, and have reached a further three semi-finals, most recently in 1994.
Fun fact: Sweden have met Brazil seven times at the World Cup, failing to winning any of them (D2 L5).
Best World Cup moment: For those who remember, it will be their 1958 run to the final as hosts. Brazil were resounding 5-2 winners in the Stockholm showdown, but Sweden impressed when toppling both the Soviet Union and West Germany in the knock-out stages.
Player you've never heard of: Ola Toivonen - The 31-year-old forward made just 12 appearances for Sunderland in 2015-16, and scored three goals during Sweden's qualifying campaign.
Kit: Home - yellow; Away - blue
Group F fixtures: South Korea (1pm, June 18, Nizhny Novgorod), Germany (7pm, June 23, Sochi), Mexico (3pm, June 27, Ekaterinburg)
