Lundgren out of World Cup

Sweden’s World Cup preparations have taken a severe hit after Gustav Lundgren was ruled out with a ruptured Achilles tendon. The GAIS winger, who played a key late role in the qualification win over Poland, suffered the injury during the warm‑up before the Allsvenskan opener against Djurgarden and did not feature in the 1‑0 defeat.

Medical assessments confirmed the worst, with the 30‑year‑old expected to miss the entire World Cup and potentially the full 2026 domestic season. Speaking after the match, Lundgren admitted he was still processing the shock, explaining that a routine backward step triggered the injury.

His absence leaves Sweden coach Graham Potter searching for a replacement, as Lundgren had been influential in the decisive sequence that led to Viktor Gyökeres’ qualification‑clinching goal. The winger expressed deep disappointment at losing the chance to experience a World Cup just days after helping secure the team’s place.