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Sweden coach Graham Potter has admitted his side must produce the finest performance in its history to overcome France when the teams meet in the Round of 32 at the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup on Tuesday.
Speaking ahead of the match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Monday, Potter described France as one of the strongest teams in the tournament, citing their quality across the squad, previous World Cup success and experienced coaching staff.
He said Sweden would need to deliver an exceptional display to stand a chance against the former champions, describing the encounter as the biggest challenge his team has faced.
“They have quality all over. We respect our opponents, obviously. They have won the World Cup before, and they have a fantastic manager,” Potter said.
“An exciting challenge awaits us, and we will have to play the game of our lives, clearly.”
Sweden, ranked 38th in the world, progressed to the knockout stage as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams after an inconsistent group campaign that included a 5-1 win over Tunisia, a 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands and a 1-1 draw with Japan.
Their presence at the World Cup has already exceeded expectations after they failed to win a single qualifying match and finished bottom of their qualifying group. Potter, who took charge last October, guided the team through the play-offs after they secured a place via the UEFA Nations League.
The former Chelsea manager said his players must approach the match with confidence despite facing one of world football’s elite sides, adding that competing against France at the World Cup in New York was a rare opportunity.
“We need to make sure the players have belief and understand the challenge because we are facing a top team,” he said.
“But we want to seize the once-in-a-lifetime chance to play in this stadium against one of the biggest teams in the world, at the World Cup, in New York.”
France head into the tie boasting one of the tournament’s most potent attacks, led by Kylian Mbappe and reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, after scoring 10 goals during the group stage.
Sweden, however, also possess attacking threats in Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres, Liverpool forward Alexander Isak and Newcastle United winger Anthony Elanga.
Potter acknowledged that finding the right balance between attack and defence would be crucial, particularly after Atalanta defender Isak Hien was ruled out with a hamstring injury.
“We need a very big blanket tomorrow,” Potter joked about covering every area of the pitch, mindful that his team were picked apart by the Netherlands in a 5-1 hammering.
“Against the top teams you have to get the balance right, and we want to play the best game we have ever played. It is a brilliant challenge and opportunity for this team,”he added.
He said Sweden had learned valuable lessons from their heavy defeat to the Netherlands and would need to produce their most complete performance to compete with France.
Captain Victor Lindelof also expressed confidence that Sweden could cause an upset, saying the team believed it could secure victory despite recognising the difficulty of the challenge.
The Aston Villa defender said Sweden had not travelled to the tournament merely to participate and remained determined to keep their World Cup campaign alive.
Sweden last defeated France in June 2017 during qualification for the 2018 World Cup, where they eventually reached the quarter-finals. They failed to qualify for the 2022 edition.
