Sweden finished rock bottom of its qualifying group with no wins, yet still booked a World Cup spot on Tuesday with a frantic playoff victory over Poland, as manager Graham Potter orchestrated a stunning 'great escape' five months after taking charge.

Viktor Gyokeres struck two minutes from time to complete a 3-2 win and settle the match, sending Sweden back to the World Cup after sitting out the last edition in Qatar.

Sweden's qualifying path was statistically dismal.

It earned only two points from six matches in Group B, with a friendly loss to Luxembourg in the same period.

By contrast, Italy, which had its World Cup hopes dashed in a playoff defeat to Bosnia, also on Tuesday, won six of its eight qualifying games.

Sweden, however, had a safety net as its 2024-25 Nations League group win offered it a backdoor route to the 2026 World Cup via the playoffs.

Manager Jon Dahl Tomasson was sacked in October, with his time in charge viewed widely as a disaster.

His insistence on a man-to-man defensive system left the team exposed, while his reliance on communicating in English, despite the linguistic similarities of his native Danish, alienated both supporters and media.

The sacking cleared the path for Potter's return to the country where, in 2017, he led Ostersunds FK to a spot in the Europa League.

Potter galvanized a skeptical public by conducting his debut news conference in fluent Swedish.

Following an initial 4-1 defeat to Switzerland, the Swedish Football Association, in an early vote of confidence, signaled its commitment to Potter by handing him a contract extension until 2030 just weeks before the playoffs.

Collective harmony

Swedish media has since reported that the squad has rediscovered a collective harmony that served as the bedrock of the national game for decades, with the public friction between players and coaching staff that marked the Tomasson era now absent.

The psychological shift under Potter was most evident in the 3-1 semifinal victory over Ukraine on Thursday.

Sweden displayed a clinical composure that had been missing during its barren qualifying campaign.

It was a far cry from the mental fragility and frequent second-half collapses seen under Tomasson.

Against Poland, that composure was even more evident, as Sweden, twice pegged back, scored late to secure its place at the World Cup.

"We have very good players and strong leadership, which has helped us a lot since they came in. We all appreciate them greatly. They have created an environment where we can simply enjoy our football," goalscorer Anthony Elanga told reporters after the game.

"We defend together and attack together. I think that is the most important thing."

Tuesday's result also served to exorcise the ghosts of 2022. Four years ago, a 2-0 playoff defeat to Poland ended Swedish World Cup dreams. By reversing that result, Potter's side has effectively drawn a line under one of Swedish soccer's darkest chapters.