Kosovo claims landmark victory over Sweden in World Cup qualifiers

Sweden has suffered another heavy blow in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, after being defeated at home by Kosovo 0–1 at the “Nya Ullevi” stadium in Gothenburg. The loss has deepened the Nordic team's crisis, which now has only one point after four matches and is practically out of the race for the top spots in the group, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

The well-known Spanish newspaper Marca writes that, despite having two big stars in attack — Alexander Isak (Liverpool) and Viktor Gyökeres (Arsenal), with a combined transfer value of over €200 million — Sweden once again failed to score, confirming their poor form.

“It’s unacceptable to lose like this at home. We had chances but didn’t take them,” said Isak after the match.

Meanwhile, Gyökeres added: “Kosovo defended like lions and punished us for every mistake.”

Head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson admitted the massive disappointment: “This isn’t total elimination, but the pain is great. We must react immediately if we want to keep the World Cup dream alive.”

After this result, Sweden remains on just one point, while Kosovo climbs to seven points, holding second place in the group, behind Switzerland, who lead with ten.

For Sweden — who also failed to qualify for the last European Championship — the risk of a second consecutive failure on the world stage is becoming more and more real.