Smith slams own debut as Sweden's World Cup opener looms

Smith: "Worst game of my career"

Eric Smith pulled no punches after Sweden's final warm-up friendly against Norway. "It's probably the worst game I've played in my career," the centre-back told SVT Sport after being substituted at half-time on his national team debut. A brutal self-assessment from a player who had been dealing with an uncertain injury period leading up to the World Cup. (3)

Monday: Sweden vs Tunisia in Monterrey

Sweden open their World Cup campaign against Tunisia on Monday morning in Monterrey. The Group F opener is your first look at Graham Potter's side on the tournament stage. Smith, despite his tough outing against Norway, shared the tactical idea for hurting Tunisia: "Then they'll have to shift from side to side," the centre-back reasoned, hinting at how Blågult plan to stretch their opponents. (2) (4) (5)

Group F: Netherlands face Japan Saturday

Sweden's group rivals Netherlands kick off their World Cup against Japan on Saturday. The Dutch result will start shaping the Group F picture before Sweden even take the field. Ronald Koeman's side, featuring Frenkie de Jong, Virgil van Dijk, and Cody Gakpo among others, face a Japan team built around Takefusa Kubo and Kaoru Mitoma's creative spark. (1)

Gyokeres carrying the load

Graham Potter has publicly backed Viktor Gyokeres ahead of the tournament, insisting the Arsenal striker had a brilliant season despite some fans wanting more goals. Potter highlighted Gyokeres' central role in winning the Premier League title, a reminder that his value goes beyond the scoresheet. With Sweden's opener days away, all eyes will be on whether he can translate that form to the international stage.

Fan reactions

Swedish fans online are nervous after the Norway friendly. Plenty are pointing to Smith's candid interview as either refreshing honesty or a worrying sign for the backline. Others are already looking past Tunisia to the Netherlands match as the real test. Join the discussion on r/Allsvenskan