Sweden is entering the 2026 World Cup as an underdog, and comparisons with the country’s last team to play on American soil are hard to avoid. The previous time Sweden appeared in a World Cup in the United States, it finished third, a result that remains one of the nation’s defining football achievements.

HBL notes that the summer of 1994 became a memorable one for Swedish football, when the team reached the podium and created a story that is still remembered today. That success now stands in sharp contrast to the more modest expectations surrounding the 2026 campaign.

For Sweden, the tournament is therefore about more than just another World Cup appearance. It is also a reminder of how high the bar was set in the United States three decades ago, and of how difficult it will be to match that level again.