Tony Gustavsson's women's national team only won two out of ten international matches in one year.
As Lithuania now waits in the autumn's first playoff for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Blågult has gone from third in the world ranking to eighth.
If you go back another two years, seven places have been lost from the historic first place after the WC bronze in 2023.
The national team is scarred by injuries and dropouts, and in the midst of a generational change.
But, says confederation captain Tony Gustavsson to DN:
- The core of the mission is to build a new national team and qualify us for the WC. And it still lives.
- When we enter a decisive playoff, we will not think about ranking points. We will only think "Brazil, Brazil, Brazil".
That his national team has fallen behind the giants is a fact, however.
Here is the women's soccer ranking journey - from autumn 2023 to today.
December 1, 2023: The Fall in the Snowfall
Snow fell in Lucerne, Switzerland. So did the Swedish WC trios.
The dream of the Olympics in Paris came crashing down in a tough qualifier. 0–1 against Switzerland in the Nations League meant that Sweden missed out on its first ever Olympic play-off and first championship since Euro 1993.
The Olympic miss caused Sweden to fall from place one to five in the world ranking.
Midfield star Kosovare Asllani stood for a long time in the snowstorm on the wet pitch:
- It is difficult to grasp, she said.
December 5, 2023: The farewell with a bitter aftertaste
After the bitter loss in Switzerland, one international match remained in 2023: Spain away.
Prior to this, the all-time stalwart, a then injured Caroline Seger, announced that it would be the last appearance of her national team career.
Victory has personified Swedish women's football. But there was no jump in the farewell.
A year later, she did not hold back with her criticism of the then confederation captain Peter Gerhardsson in a documentary on TV4:
- It was almost like sticking the knife in one more time and turning it over.
3 December 2024: 20-0 on goal difference in the EC play-offs
The Nations League defeat meant tough opposition in the qualifiers for European Championship 2025. The national team was forced to play a playoff for an European Championship place in the new qualification system.
However, there was never any talk there.
In the double meetings with Luxembourg and Serbia respectively, Sweden scored 20 goals ahead - and conceded zero.
June 3, 2025: The relegation in Nordic derbies
The general rehearsal before the EC was the best possible. Sweden completely crushed Denmark in the last match before the summer championship in Switzerland (6-1) - and was ready for a historic semi-final in a new edition of the Nations League.
July 17, 2025: The Freezer End of an Era
Sweden played Germany itself in the group stage of the EC and there were dreams of another medal. But after the quarter-final against England there were only tears.
Peter Gerhardsson's last international match developed into a rarely seen penalty drama.
Afterwards, the national team captain would receive criticism both for the choice of penalty shooters and for the decision to let an 18-year-old championship debutant (Smilla Holmberg) step forward in the most vulnerable position. On the field, the players could only state that Jennifer Falk's four penalty saves were not enough. The Swedes scored only two out of seven penalties - and both Falk (as penalty taker) and veteran Sofia Jakobsson missed crucial opportunities to take Sweden on.
Despite the EC exit, Gerhardsson could be thanked as Sweden's most successful national team captain of all time: two WC bronzes (2019 and 2023), an Olympic silver (2021) and an EC semi-final (2022) were the result.
Kosovare Asllani praised him as the leader who had the most impact on the national team, and who made the national team a "playing team". Central back star Magdalena Eriksson:
- His support, his way of being, his leadership has been a safe point for all of us.
October 24, 2025: New national team captain and new times
When Tony Gustavsson took over as national team captain, Sweden was ranked third in the world.
The first national team gathering in Spain marked a fresh start – and the beginning of a shaky journey.
His first starting XI was more or less what was expected. However, Sweden had no chance against the world champions Spain in the Nations League semi-final - and after 0-4 in the first meeting, the door was opened for a new batch of national team players.
In upcoming matches and in the subsequent WC qualifier, Gustavsson has given debutant after debutant the chance. The generational change was a fact.
Spring 2026: The national team without a leader
Kosovare Asllani would be the link between the old national team and the new one.
The team captain's decision to play on after the EC created faith and security in the group.
Then came the knee injury.
The star was carried out on a stretcher during a league match in England in March and missed the rest of the World Cup qualifiers. As if that wasn't enough, Magdalena Eriksson and Linda Sembrant had already announced that they were quitting the national team and Nathalie Björn was also injured.
Suddenly, the WC bronze medalists were without natural leaders.
Tony Gustavsson introduced a completely new system for the players with so-called team captains.
At the same time, experienced players who could have contributed with their leadership - such as Fridolina Rolfö - were outside the starting eleven.
Forced changes due to injuries were interspersed with active choices from the national team captain in a team that increasingly seemed to be losing its identity.
Several of the newcomers did indeed (at times) do well, but both efficiency and defensive play have suffered in the "new national team", players have been tested in unfamiliar positions and almost every game has had a new back line.
The experimentation has shown in the results.
Double losses against Denmark, and crosses against both Serbia and Italy, speak for themselves. It also makes the total goal difference 6-6 in the qualifier.
When it mattered most, in the World Cup qualifier away to Denmark (1–2), the Swedes couldn't handle the pressure. The right mental attitude was lacking.
We will leave it unsaid if the players themselves agreed, but that was Tony Gustavsson's analysis after the missed direct spot to the WC:
- We have to be honest that there is a lack of natural leadership, he said.
Speaking about Sweden having to play a playoff for the World Cup ticket, Manchester United midfielder Julia Zigiotti Olme said:
- We have been a top nation that has fought for medals. But now it is as it is and you just have to adjust to it.
June 9, 2026: Poke the star point saver
Fridolina Rolfö, who was rejected by Tony Gustavsson, had found it difficult to hide her frustration.
Therefore, it was perhaps the irony of fate that it was Rolfö who jumped into the last World Cup qualifying match and gave a hard-pressed national team captain - at least some - peace of mind until the autumn playoffs.
Gustavsson's national team looked to complete the qualifying fiasco with a loss at home against Italy. But the star's goal made it 2–2.
However, third place in the group was a fact. Likewise eighth place in the world ranking.
September 29: The self-critical mantra
His mission has been crystal clear from day one and still is, says Tony Gustavsson.
The women's national team will go through a generational change - and make it to the WC.
But when the 53-year-old presented the squad for the World Cup playoffs last week, it was clear that another message would also be conveyed:
- There have been too many changes, in too short a time, repeated Gustavsson like a mantra.
To say he lay flat is wrong. But the confederation captain appeared accustomed to critical questions from the media.
Now the ongoing collection will be about short-term performance, continuity and clarity, he said. All players must be used in the "right" positions, the flow of new information must be slowed down.
Nathalie Björn is back, but instead there are new interruptions (Johanna Rytting Kaneryd is injured, Fridolina Rolfö is pregnant).
Tony Gustavsson's self-criticism can create security in the group, believes national team manager Kim Källström:
- He shows that maybe we will do things a little differently going forward to hopefully get more stability - which can lead to better results.
Read more:
Pressed Gustavsson is forced to "slow down" in the WC hunt: "There have been too many changes"
Björn back to the WC playoff - becomes team captain: "Given one"
