Red Bulls’ Emil Forsberg called back into Sweden side in hopes of saving thin 2026 World Cup hopes

New York Red Bulls captain Emil Forsberg has been called back up to the Swedish national team ahead of its pivotal 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Switzerland on Saturday and Slovenia on Nov. 18.

It is the first time that Forsberg has been called into the national team for World Cup qualifiers, as the 34-year-old’s inclusion with the side has dwindled since making the jump from Red Bull Leipzig of the German Bundesliga to New York two winters ago.

He made 12 appearances for Sweden last year, although they were spread across friendlies, European Championship qualifying, and UEFA Nations League play.

The veteran midfielder continued to shine in his second campaign with the Red Bulls, starting 32 of a possible 34 league matches with 11 goals and 10 assists, becoming the first player since the legendary Thierry Henry in 2014 to put up 10-plus goals and assists in a single season. He is only one of two players in franchise history to record multiple goals and assists in a single match, doing so during a 7-0 victory over the LA Galaxy in May. He is also the eighth player in club history to accrue 25 goal contributions in his first 40 matches.

With 90 career appearances for Sweden, Forsberg is one of just 16 players to collect 90 or more caps for the national team. His 21 goals are tied for 14th in national team history.

Among his most important international goals is the game-winning strike against Switzerland in the Round of 16 at the 2018 World Cup, which punched Sweden’s ticket to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1994 in the United States.

Sweden did not qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and their prospects of gaining entry into the 2026 tournament hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico — the final will be played at MetLife Stadium, just a stone’s throw away from Sports Illustrated Stadium, where the Red Bulls play — are remarkably slim.

They are winless in their first four matches in Group B of UEFA’s qualifying structure, sitting in last place of the four-team group with just a single point. It forced the Swedish FA to fire manager Jon Dahl Tomasson and bring in former Chelsea and West Ham boss Graham Potter, who promptly called Forsberg back into the side.

With just two matches left in qualifying, Sweden cannot win Group B, which would secure an automatic spot in the 48-team World Cup in June. They can still qualify for a spot in one of the play-offs by finishing second in the group, but they would have to win each of these final two qualifying matches while hoping Kosovo, which currently sits in second with seven points, loses both of its final games.

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