Benjamin Nygren returns to Celtic after a week to forget with Sweden.
The 2026 World Cup is around the corner, with a record 48 teams participating next summer, and 23 nations already earning their golden ticket, including co-hosts, the United States of America, Mexico and Canada.
Sweden have a slim chance of reaching world football’s biggest stage, after their recent defeats to Switzerland and then Kosovo.
Nygren didn’t even get a sniff this week to try and change his nation’s fortunes around, as they are sitting bottom of Group B, with one point to their name and two matches remaining.
All in all, it has proven to be costly for the man in the Sweden dugout – Jon Dahl Tomasson.
Jon Dahl Tomasson sacked by Sweden
Less than 24 hours after Sweden’s humiliating loss to Kosovo, Tomasson has been sacked, despite two games remaining, as well as the chance to qualify for the World Cup via the UEFA Nations League.
Sweden are six points behind second-place Kosovo, as even two wins from their final two matches won’t earn them that play-off spot.
‘SvFF (The Swedish Football Association) terminates Jon Dahl Tomasson’s assignment,’ wrote Sweden’s football account on social media. ‘SvFF thanks Jon Dahl Tomasson for his time as national team coach.’
Benjamin Nygren should be delighted
This bombshell news about Tomasson’s sacking should be music to the ears of Celtic’s summer signing, Nygren.
The versatile Celtic forward would have probably been making his way back from Stockholm to Glasgow when the news broke about his national manager.
The issue here is that Nygren was left on the bench against the Swiss and Kosovo, even though his team failed to score in both matches, which makes that call from the now-sacked coach even more baffling.
But that’s probably one of many reasons why he has been booted out, and hopefully, when international football returns next month, Nygren can showcase what he is all about, because it’s pointless calling him up if he is going to just rot on the bench.
Remember, from Nygren’s six matches for Sweden, he has two goals to his name.
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