king
1 Kalle Svensson
knight
2 Orvar Bergmark
pawn
3 Sven Axbom
pawn
14 Bengt Gustavsson
knight
4 Nils Liedholm
rook
6 Sigge Parling
pawn
7 Kurt Hamrin
rook
15 Reino Börjesson
bishop
11 Lennart Skoglund
queen
8 Gunnar Gren
bishop
9 Agne Simonsson
4-3-3
4-4-2
4-3-3
4-2-3-1
4-1-4-1
4-5-1
4-3-2-1
3-5-2
3-4-3
5-3-2
5-4-1
Piece
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World Cup 1958

Sweden

Runner-up

With a host nation behind them, Sweden entered the 1958 World Cup carrying the hopes of an entire country. Under George Raynor, a nation dared to dream.

0
Played
0
Wins
0
Goals
0
Win Rate
Latest News
Brazil Beats Sweden 5-2 in Final
The 1958 FIFA World Cup concluded with a spectacular victory for Brazil, defeating Sweden 5-2 in a captivating final encounter held at Råsunda Stadium in Solna, Sweden. Jan 02, 2026
BRA1
WAL0
FRA4
NIR0
BRA5
FRA2
Final
BRA5
SWE2
SWE3
FRG1
SWE2
SUN0
FRG1
YUG0
The Campaign

World Cup 1958

With a nation behind them, Sweden came agonisingly close to the ultimate prize, falling just short in the final. With 12 goals in 6 games, they carried a consistent attacking threat throughout.

15:00 FT Råsunda Stadium
Brazil
5 ◆︎ 2
Sweden
Final
19:00 FT Nya Ullevi (Gothenburg )
Sweden
3 ◆︎ 1
West Germany
Semi-finals
19:00 FT Råsunda Stadium
Sweden
2 ◆︎ 0
Soviet Union
Quarter-finals
14:00 FT Råsunda Stadium
Sweden
0 ◆︎ 0
Wales
group stage
19:00 FT Råsunda Stadium
Sweden
2 ◆︎ 1
Hungary
group stage
14:00 FT Råsunda Stadium
Sweden
3 ◆︎ 0
Mexico
group stage
The Defining Moment

Sweden 1958

Sweden, as hosts, enjoyed a dream tournament all the way to the final. The side of Nils Liedholm and Kurt Hamrin defeated defending champions West Germany in the semi-finals and reached the decider with the hopes of an entire nation. Liedholm even opened the scoring, making Sweden the only team in the tournament to score first against Brazil. But the Brazilians, led by a 17-year-old Pelé, responded with football from another planet: 5-2 the final score. The Swedish crowd, in a gesture of sportsmanship still remembered with admiration, gave Brazil a standing ovation at the final whistle. Sweden fell with dignity against what many consider the first exhibition of jogo bonito on the world stage.

1958 campaign
0 matches played

4won1drawn1lost

12scored7conceded

Kept 3 clean sheets on home soil.

Top Scorer

Kurt Hamrin

0 goals
7Midfielder

Kurt Hamrin led Sweden's attack with 4 goals 2 in the group stage, 1 in the quarter-finals and 1 in the semi-finals at the 1958 World Cup. Shared the top-scorer honours with Simonsson, both with 4.

Defensive record
0 clean sheets

Conceded in only 3 of 6 matches

Head Coach

George Raynor

England · 1950 – 1958

The tactical mind behind Sweden's 1958 campaign. At the helm since the 1950 World Cup 11 World Cup matches managed in total.

Playing Style

Swedish Wonders

Tactical identity · 1958

Sweden's success was built on a solid defensive foundation and swift counterattacks led by Agne Simonsson, Kurt Hamrin, and Nils Liedholm. George Raynor's tactical acumen played a key role in the team's run.

Goalkeepers

1
Kalle Svensson
6GAMES
GK
12
Tore Svensson
GK
16
Ingemar Haraldsson
GK

Defenders

2
Orvar Bergmark
6GAMES
LB
3
Sven Axbom
6GAMES
CB
4
Nils Liedholm
5GAMES2GOALS
RB
5
Åke Johansson
CB
13
Prawitz Öberg
CB
14
Bengt Gustavsson
6GAMES
CB

Midfielders

6
Sigge Parling
6GAMES
LM
7
Kurt Hamrin
5GAMES4GOALS
CM
10
Arne Selmosson
1GAME
CM
15
Reino Börjesson
4GAMES
RM
17
Olle Håkansson
CM
21
Bengt Berndtsson
1GAME
CM

Forwards

8
Gunnar Gren
5GAMES1GOAL
CF
9
Agne Simonsson
5GAMES4GOALS
RW
11
Lennart Skoglund
6GAMES1GOAL
LW
18
Gösta Löfgren
1GAME
CF
19
Henry Källgren
1GAME
CF
20
Bror Mellberg
2GAMES
CF
22
Owe Ohlsson
CF
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