On a historic day for football in Sweden, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström visited the Swedish Football Association’s (SvFF) headquarters, where he met with President Simon Åström and General Secretary Niclas Carlnén, before attending the decisive FIFA World Cup 2026™ play-off between Sweden and Poland later that evening in Solna, which the home side won 3-2.

It was both a productive and personal visit for Mr Grafström, who spent part of his upbringing in Uppsala, just north of the capital, Stockholm, and who took his initial learnings in football administration as an intern at the SvFF.

“It is always very special for me to return to the Swedish Football Association, where I took my first steps in football administration back in 1998. To see how much the federation has grown since then is truly inspiring,” Mr Grafström said.

During his visit, FIFA’s Secretary General visited various departments within the federation and discussed FIFA’s long-standing collaboration with one of its founding Member Associations (MAs). Among the key topics was the SvFF’s project to develop a new national training centre, which could benefit from support through the FIFA Forward programme. This project would represent an important step in further strengthening development across the country.

“It was a real pleasure to welcome Mattias back to the Swedish Football Association. It is always special to host him here, and we truly value our strong relationship with FIFA. We look forward to continuing our work together to develop football across Sweden, Europe, and the rest of the world” said SvFF President Åström.

“Sweden continues to be a model for developing outstanding male and female players and teams – combining strong values, professionalism and passion for the game,” Mr Grafström continued. “The federation’s work at every level strengthens not only Swedish football but also contributes to the development of the game across Europe.”

Attention then turned to the evening’s decisive qualifier at the Nationalarenan, where Sweden aimed to secure qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ in Canada, Mexico and the United States. Sweden, who reached the quarter-finals in 2018 and famously finished third in 1994, were looking to return to the world stage.

The evening ended in celebration, as Sweden secured a dramatic 3-2 win over Poland. After a thrilling match in which Poland twice equalised, Victor Gyökeres scored the decisive goal in the 88th minute to send Sweden through to the FIFA World Cup 2026™.

“Congratulations to Sweden on qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2026™. This success reflects the federation’s strong long-term work and the players’ excellent team spirit,” Mr Grafström concluded. “It will be exciting to see Sweden return to the world stage, especially with such a rich history in the competition.”

Mr Grafström’s visit is part of his continued engagement with Swedish and Nordic football, following his participation in a FIFA Nordic Member Associations conference in Iceland in August 2025 and a recent meeting with Mr Åström in Miami, USA.