Sweden’s World Cup squad announcement has sparked a furious backlash, with former international striker John Guidetti leading the criticism. The 26-man list, unveiled by head coach Otto Porter on Tuesday, notably excluded talented youngsters like Barcelona winger Lucas Bergvall and midfielder Jesper Svedberg.
Guidetti, now a football pundit, did not hold back during a television appearance. “I can speak freely now because I’ll never make another World Cup squad. I’m sitting here as a fan who wants Sweden to succeed, but this is a cowardly selection. Porter is a coward,” he said.
The former Celtic and Cagliari forward argued that Porter overlooked players with character and unique attributes, opting instead for safer choices. “You leave out players with personality and edge – the kind who might cause a bit of ‘trouble’ in the dressing room. But as a national team coach, your job is to take the best players available,” Guidetti added.
He pointed out the glaring contrast between leaving out Bergvall, who recently won La Liga with Barcelona, and including Alexander Bernhardsson, who plays in the German second division. “I just can’t understand it. It makes no sense. You pick a player from the 2. Bundesliga over someone who just became a Spanish champion? I’m really emotional about this,” Guidetti said, visibly frustrated.
In a press conference following the announcement, Porter remained calm when asked whether his selections were overly conservative. “Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I have plenty of experience picking players in different environments. It has nothing to do with personality or so-called ‘character traits.’ I don’t want a squad full of compliant yes-men – you win nothing with that,” the Sweden boss explained.
He further elaborated, “If anyone has been listening to what I’ve said, they would understand. I’ve repeated this many times. I never mentioned anything about character or personality, so I don’t need to justify that further.”
The omission of Bergvall, a 20-year-old attacking talent who made a significant impact at Barcelona this season, has been the most controversial decision. Several other notable players, including winger Dejan Kulusevski, were also left out due to fitness concerns – Kulusevski has not yet returned to full training after injury. Sweden will begin their World Cup campaign next month, and the debate over Porter’s squad choices is unlikely to fade anytime soon.