This match marks Sweden's 13th appearance at the World Cup finals and their first since 2018, a tournament where they reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by England with a 0-2 defeat.

The current Sweden squad has undergone many changes compared to eight years ago, now featuring Premier League talents such as Alexander Isak (Liverpool), Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal), Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham), and Anthony Elanga (Newcastle). Despite a turbulent qualifying campaign, coach Graham Potter's team arrives with a degree of confidence, having advanced past the group stage in their four most recent World Cup appearances.

Swedish fans also have reason to hope for a memorable journey in the tournament hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico. The last time the Nordic team reached the World Cup semi-finals was in 1994, also held in the USA.

Viktor Gyokeres celebrates with teammates after scoring Sweden's third goal, completing a hat-trick in the 2026 World Cup qualifier play-off semi-final against Ukraine at Estadi Ciutat de Valencia, Spain, on 26/3/2026. *Photo: Reuters*

Meanwhile, Tunisia is preparing for its seventh World Cup in history and its third consecutive appearance. This represents the longest current World Cup participation streak for an African team, matching Morocco and Senegal.

Despite this consistent presence, Tunisia has never advanced beyond the group stage. Among teams with multiple World Cup appearances who have not progressed past the first round, only Scotland has a worse record with eight participations.

Coach Sabri Lamouchi's team is still considered an underdog in this match and within Group F. However, they demonstrated impressive form during qualifiers, securing 28 out of a possible 30 points, with nine wins and one draw. Tunisia was also one of only two African representatives, alongside Ivory Coast, not to concede a single goal throughout their qualifying campaign.

Hong Duy