Gabriel Gudmundsson is ready to start Sweden’s World Cup opener against Tunisia, and he has spent the build-up leaning on Dallas training and Stockholm sauna work to handle the heat. Sweden go into Monday morning with a plan built around conditions as much as the opponent.
Dallas base camp
The Leeds United defender said he was speaking from his temporary home in Dallas. “We’re here at our camp in Dallas for training and I am so happy for that,” he said, adding that the heat is “a big, big topic here” and that Sweden need “a better plan.”
That plan has been shaped by more than one location. Gudmundsson said the squad had already done acclimatisation work in Stockholm, using a sauna to prepare for the heat before arriving in the United States of America. He said that left the group “a little bit more prepared than if we didn't do anything.”
Stockholm sauna work
Sweden’s preparation has been direct and practical. Gudmundsson said the team had a good camp in Stockholm before travelling, and that it included “two tough, but also good friendly games” before the tournament. He also said he is “super, super happy” to be back with the national team and even happier to be back in Dallas, where the camp has made the World Cup feel more real.
The setup matters because Sweden are not arriving cold into Group F. Tunisia are 45th in FIFA’s list, Sweden are 39th, and the opener comes against a side Gudmundsson described as “very strong team defensively, very compact and good in transitions.” Sweden have spent time on video work to shape a game plan around that shape rather than leaving the first match to chance.
Monterrey Stadium opener
Gudmundsson said many players in the squad are at their first World Cup, which has pushed the mood forward quickly. “We are super excited for this. Obviously there are many players in the squad, it's the first time in a World Cup, so everybody is super excited for this adventure,” he said.
Sweden also know the margin for error is thin. Gudmundsson said a strong start can put the team in “the pole position,” and he tied that directly to Monday morning at Monterrey Stadium. The heat plan may not decide the match on its own, but Sweden have made it part of the opening job rather than an afterthought.
