After four matches without a victory in their group, Sweden dismissed their head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson and appointed Graham Potter, who managed one draw and one defeat in the last two qualifiers, as Blagult ended at the bottom of Group B.

Sweden were anticipated to be Switzerland's main rivals for the top spot in the group, especially following a strong UEFA Nations League (UNL) performance months earlier, but only secured two points, finishing below Kosovo and Slovenia, trailing Switzerland by 12 points.

However, it is their UNL results that have kept Sweden's World Cup hopes alive, earning them a Playoff spot as one of the four best UNL group winners who did not finish in the top two of their World Cup qualifying group.

The Playoffs

In March, Sweden must overcome their poor form and win two consecutive matches to secure a World Cup berth.

Last month, Potter's team was placed in Path B, where they will face Ukraine in the Semi-finals. If victorious, they will face the winner of Poland vs Albania for a spot in the finals.

Due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the Semi-final will be held on neutral ground, while the final—if Sweden advances—will take place at Strawberry Arena in Solna, giving Sweden home advantage they will aim to capitalize on.

Having missed the 2022 tournament in Qatar, the 1958 runners-up are seeking their first World Cup finals appearance since their 2018 Quarter-final exit against England.

The Draw

The draw is scheduled for tomorrow (December 5th) at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., USA, at 18:00 CET.

The name "Sweden" will not be announced during the ceremony; instead, fans will watch for "UEFA Path B Winner".

Teams are divided into four seeded pots—the majority of the 48 teams are seeded based on FIFA World Rankings, with the highest-ranked in Pot 1 and the lowest in Pot 4.

Exceptions include the three host nations, all in Pot 1, plus the four UEFA Playoff winners and two Inter-Confederation Playoff winners, all placed in Pot 4. The draw will create 12 groups of four teams each.

This arrangement makes it difficult for 43rd-ranked Sweden, who will be drawn into a group with at least two teams ranked higher, if they qualify.

Best-case scenario

Sweden supporters might hesitate to get excited—either to avoid tempting fate or due to doubts about winning their Playoff path—but tomorrow's draw will reveal what awaits them if they succeed.

Based on the World Rankings (in brackets), the most favorable group Sweden could be drawn into is:

1. Canada (27)

2. Australia (26)

3. South Africa (61)

4. Sweden (43)

Facing a host nation is never simple, but Canada, ranked 27th and notably lower than other Pot 1 teams, presents a less intimidating challenge than other top seeds.

Canada failed to advance beyond the group stage in their previous two World Cup participations, South Africa has yet to reach the knockout rounds after three appearances, and Australia reached the Round of 16 twice, including in 2022, but progressed no further.

This scenario places Sweden in Group B, which Canada is already assigned to. Matches against Canada would be held in Toronto or Vancouver, with another Group B game scheduled in Seattle, offering Blagult the chance to play in cooler conditions.

Worst-case scenario

Determining the toughest possible group opponents for Sweden is less straightforward.

Based purely on rankings, the hardest group for Sweden would be:

1. Spain (1)

2 Morocco (11)

3. Panama (30)

4. Sweden (43)

Since no more than two European teams can be in the same group, drawing Spain means Sweden avoids the highest-ranked teams in Pots 2 and 3, specifically Croatia (11) and Norway (29). Still, this group yields an average opponent ranking of 14.

There is another possible group with the same average ranking of 14, leaving it to Sweden fans to decide which is worse:

1. Argentina (2)

2. Croatia (10)

3. Panama (30)

4. Sweden (43)

World champions Argentina or European champions Spain? 2022 semi-finalists Croatia or fellow semi-finalists Morocco? It's a tough choice for Sweden.

And what about facing high-flying, goal-scoring neighbours Norway? This would be the toughest group possibly featuring an all-Scandinavian clash Sweden would surely prefer to avoid:

1. Argentina (2)

2. Morocco (11)

3. Norway (29)

4. Sweden (43)

What destiny awaits Sweden if they advance through the Playoffs? A group of death, a dream group, or something in between? Discover the answer by following tomorrow's draw (18:00 CET) on Flashscore.