Former Dynamo Kyiv forward Viktor Khlus shared his thoughts on Ukraine’s semi-final play-off opponent for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers — the Swedish national team.
Viktor Khlus«I played in a Scandinavian country for about ten years, so I know the characteristics of its football and the Swedes themselves well. I can say that players from the current Sweden national team hardly play in the Swedish championship. All those who have achieved any success in Swedish teams leave the country for other, much stronger championships.
This is because a club cannot pay players big money, as Swedish life is arranged according to the standards of the average Swede. In this country, you cannot stand out, so all the players who play for the Sweden national team and intend to continue doing so in the coming years represent renowned international top clubs like Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Benfica. It’s clear that they earn good money there. And upon returning to their clubs, these players continue to live in Sweden.
Therefore, considering all of the above, Ukraine’s upcoming opponent can be called invisible. As for whether the current Swedish national team is within our team’s power, I’ll respond this way: if Serhiy Rebrov’s charges play in the March match with the same desire and determination to win as they did against Iceland in Warsaw, they will take another step towards the final part of the world championship,» said Khlus.
