Graham Potter

Graham Potter is the head coach of Sweden at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, his first major tournament as a manager. Born in Solihull on 20 May 1975, he had a modest English playing career as a left-back at Birmingham, Stoke, Southampton, West Brom and York City — and then quietly reinvented himself in Sweden.

Taking over fourth-tier Östersunds FK in 2011, he won three promotions, the 2017 Svenska Cupen and led the club to the 2017–18 Europa League knockout stage, where they beat Arsenal at the Emirates — one of the most romantic stories of the decade. That work brought him home: Swansea City in 2018, Brighton & Hove Albion in 2019 (where he produced their best-ever Premier League finish of sixth in 2022), then a brief, high-pressure spell at Chelsea and a difficult eight months at West Ham, who dismissed him in September 2025.

The Swedish Football Association moved within weeks. On 20 October 2025 he was appointed head coach of Sweden, charged with rescuing a stalled World Cup qualifying campaign. He delivered: Sweden booked their place in the 2026 tournament and extended his contract through 2030. Sweden are in Group F. With a generation around Alexander Isak, Anthony Elanga and Viktor Gyökeres, Potter's challenge is to turn Sweden's individual talent into the deep tournament run their fans have waited for since 2018.