Just as he has experienced at Celtic, Benjamin Nygren appears to be entering a new chapter on the international stage.
The adaptable forward has struggled for regular minutes with Sweden and has also had to watch the national team falter in their campaign to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Their form dipped so badly that Graham Potter was brought in to replace Jon Dahl Tomasson, who left Sweden bottom of Group B. Potter’s first match in charge came on Saturday evening against group leaders Switzerland.
Nygren, who didn’t play a single minute during the October international window, was handed a rare start, while star striker Alexander Isak dropped to the bench.
And the Celtic attacker did what he’s known for: he found the net — though the final scoreline overshadowed his moment.
How Sweden fans reacted to Benjamin Nygren’s display in Graham Potter’s debut vs Switzerland
Sweden can no longer qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, but they still have an opportunity through the UEFA play-offs.
After going three straight matches without scoring, Sweden finally broke their drought thanks to Nygren, who produced the equaliser.
From a cross delivered by Anthony Elanga on the left — much like the patterns seen at Celtic — Nygren ghosted into space on the edge of the box, controlled the ball superbly, and drilled a left-footed finish into the bottom corner. The goal thrilled Swedish supporters, with some even suggesting he deserves selection over bigger-name regulars, and it marked the forward’s third goal in seven caps.
Unfortunately for Sweden, that was the lone highlight. They eventually fell to a heavy 4–1 defeat.
Fan reaction online was lively.
@NobilePicave placed Nygren among the standout performers despite the loss:
“Good: Ayari, Elanga, Nygren, Holm. Mid: Lagerbielke, Svanberg, Karlström, Svensson. Not good: Hien, Gudmundsson, Bernhardsson.”
markushankins wasn’t shocked that Sweden looked better with Nygren on the field:
“Least surprising thing this year: Emil Holm and Benjamin Nygren, along with Anthony Elanga, are the best in the national team during the first half.”
Meanwhile, a stats page celebrated Nygren’s goal with a simple outburst from @SwedeStats:
“GOOOOOOOOOAL! BENJAMIN NYGREN, 1–1!”
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