The Swedish World Cup squad experienced a scare during a training session on Wednesday when a nearby demolition project at Toyota Stadium, home of Major League Soccer franchise FC Dallas, went awry. Workers attempting a controlled explosion as part of ongoing reconstruction malfunctioned, causing a structure to collapse in an unintended direction.
The debris landed on one of the stadium's spectator stands, creating a mangled structure that players could see during their practice. Despite the alarming incident, no one was injured, and the team was able to continue its training as planned.
"They were trying to demolish something, and it looks like it fell in the wrong direction. Luckily, no one was hurt," said national team manager Stefan Pettersson. "They probably used an explosive device, and then something went wrong. We can use the entire pitch and all other areas as usual."
Defender Besfort Zeneli expressed surprise at the event, stating, "I just thought 'What happened? As far as I know, there wasn't a storm.' How did the collapse occur then?"
Images from the training session show the collapsed section of the building resting on the seats where fans would typically sit. The Swedish squad proceeded with their practice, with the damaged stand in the background. Sweden is currently preparing for their final group game against Japan, with a spot in the tournament's knockout stage on the line. The team is third in Group F, one point behind Japan and the Netherlands, following an opening win against Tunisia and a loss to the Dutch.