Potter has made a believer of Gyokeres as Sweden look to make an impact

The Swedes turned to Potter in October 2025 after their World Cup dreams were left in tatters by a dismal run that produced just one point from four qualifiers.

A defeat and a draw followed as the Blue-Yellows finished bottom of Group B but redemption came courtesy of an impressive Nations League campaign.

Four of the 16 World Cup play-off places went to the best-ranked Nations League group winners that had not already qualified — meaning Northern Ireland, North Macedonia, Romania and Sweden were handed a second chance.

And it was Gyokeres who notched a hat-trick in the semi-finals against Ukraine before bagging an 88th-minute winner to see off Poland and send Sweden to North America.

Speaking to FIFA, the 28-year-old striker said: "The manager’s brought a lot of good energy into the group.

"The importance of having that connection in the team and in the group both on the pitch and outside [can't be understated].

“And then [he's said to] stick to the game plan we have and how we want to play football, enjoy playing for Sweden and realise how much it means for us as players and the whole country."

After going three games unbeaten, Potter’s men lost 3-1 to Norway in their first World Cup warm-up before drawing 2-2 with Greece.

That leaves the former Brighton boss with a record of two wins, two draws and two defeats from his six games in charge of Sweden. 

But Gyokeres is confident they will be competitive alongside Tunisia, the Netherlands and Japan in Group F.

Ahead of Monday’s clash with the Tunisians, he added: "We always knew we had a great team with great players.

"I think we were be a bit unlucky in some games with the results. The last couple of years we have also changed a lot of players, so sometimes it can take time to get that together.

“Now we've played a few games together and I think we have that connection with each other, we've definitely showed we are a great team."

Having initially been handed a short-term deal, Potter signed a four-year extension in March to see him through until after the 2030 World Cup.

It remains to be seen whether the 51-year-old lasts that long but with the likes of Gyokeres to rely on the future appears bright.

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