Sweden lost to France 0-3 in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16. Coach Graham Potter spoke to Swedish media after the match.

How do you assess the elimination and the team's overall performance?

As you'd expect, we're very disappointed to be knocked out. We felt we could have gone further, but ultimately we have to accept that when you consider France's strength and overall level, this might have been beyond us. We needed to play almost perfectly, to perform at our best, and even then, I wasn't sure it would be enough against a team like France.

They deserved to advance clearly. For us, we can only come to terms with this disappointment, while also recognizing how far we've come. Our task now is to continue moving forward on the foundation of this team. I'm very proud of them. We must use this experience as a starting point to ensure we qualify for the next major tournament and continue to grow. Many of our players are experiencing a World Cup for the first time. Now we need to develop as a team overall and make the most of this experience.

How do you view the timing of the goals conceded and the team's performance during that period?

Yes, the timing of those goals was certainly frustrating. But I think we started the match quite solidly and performed well. Then they gradually increased the pressure on us, pushed us deeper, and our attacking opportunities became limited.

With their strength, they can always create pressure on you defensively. Of course, conceding goals is disappointing, but I think it was a result of being under sustained pressure for a period, and it was very difficult in that situation.

What does this defeat mean for the team when facing such a strong opponent?

Although they may not want to hear it, losing to a competitor of France's caliber is no shame. You just have to look at how long they've played together, what they've achieved both individually and as a team throughout their careers, and where we are right now.

In terms of our development stage and experience, we're at completely different points. So we must do what I've said—treat these as opportunities for growth and commit to qualifying for major tournaments going forward. This is our foundation. We've had five very good weeks together with significant progress, but today it wasn't enough.

How important is this experience for the team's future development?

I think this is what we need to do. As I've mentioned, if you look at these players, many are experiencing a competition like this for the first time. They lack this kind of competitive and accumulative experience. What I want to say is that coming here and gaining this experience will make you better.

Now we must continue developing as a team. Next, we have the UEFA Nations League, and we must aim to win there. We need to qualify for the European Championship and also qualify for the FIFA World Cup. It sounds simple, but these are goals we must achieve.

In football, there must always be a balance between defensive and attacking play. We were facing a top team, and it's difficult for any team in the world to play against France. That's the reality. However, we've made progress. I think we've improved both as a team and overall, and now we just need to continue moving forward.

How do you sum up this World Cup campaign?

There are many factors involved, including the players themselves and how they came together. As I've said, I'm very proud of them. These were five memorable weeks, and a valuable experience for me as well. I'm grateful to them—to the entire coaching staff and every player—for the attitude they demonstrated.

As I mentioned before, it wasn't easy to come back after playing the Netherlands and getting the points we needed against Japan. But the players performed excellently. Today we simply faced a very strong opponent. I think in this tournament, it takes a truly exceptional team to beat them. While this doesn't diminish our disappointment and sadness, because we didn't want to leave—I could sense from the team that we all wanted to stay. I also want to thank all the fans. They were fantastic both at the stadium and back home. Today's result is not what we wanted.

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