Sweden’s U21 national team concluded a difficult European Championship qualifying campaign with a 2–0 victory over North Macedonia at Falcon Alkoholfri Arena, marking Daniel Bäckström’s final match in charge. Goals from Sirius player Victor Svensson, 20, in the 15th minute and Fiorentina-proffered Alieu Njie, 21, in the second half secured the win. Viktor Andersson replaced Elis Jäger in goal, while Oskar Cotton came in for Adam Herdonsson at right-back. Further substitutions saw Karl Gunnarsson, Charlie Rosenqvist, and Leo Östman enter the match in place of Neo Jönsson, Jardell Kanga, and Richie Omorowa. With fifteen minutes remaining, Svensson and Tolf were substituted off, allowing Gustaf Westström and Sixten Gustafsson to make their U21 national team debuts. The squad also included other players chasing their first caps, such as goalkeepers Leo Cavallius and Theo Krantz, defender Malte Frejd Pålsson, and midfielder Noel Sernelius. Meanwhile, North Macedonia featured Luka Trpevski, a player who previously made one youth international appearance for Sweden before switching allegiance to North Macedonia’s U21 team, where the Red Star Belgrade academy midfielder is the youngest player in their squad and recently debuted against Russia in September.
The result brought an end to a qualifying campaign described as a fiasco where Sweden won four of ten matches and finished third in Group E with 13 points, far behind group winners Italy and runners-up Polen, who both finished on 27 points. Prior to this fixture, Sweden’s last win came against Armenien in November 2025, followed by three losses and one draw during the 2026 calendar year, leaving the dream of reaching the U21 Euros completely crushed.
Farewell and Tributes for the Departing Coach
Before kickoff, Daniel Bäckström was officially thanked for his service by SvFF general secretary Niclas Carlnén. Bäckström had held the role since the autumn of 2022, leading the squad through two European Championship qualifiers and helping develop and guide numerous young players to the senior national team. The Swedish Football Association had already announced back in June that the parties would part ways once the qualifiers concluded. During the ceremony, the stadium speaker read a formal tribute wishing him good luck in future assignments, noting that the fixture marked his final match on the post after the campaign had initially begun at the same venue exactly one year and a month prior on 18 November 2025.
Italy and Polen Top the Qualifying Group
The final group standings placed Italy at the top with 27 points, followed by Polen in second place also with 27 points, Sweden in third with 13 points, Montenegro with 12 points, North Macedonia with 7 points, and Armenien at the bottom with 1 point. The concluding match against North Macedonia was ultimately of academic significance due to the earlier missed qualification, but it allowed the U21 national team to claim their first victory of 2026 and Umeåsonen Bäckström to finish his tenure on a winning note.
