Sweden's World Cup squad found themselves training amidst a construction site at Toyota Stadium on Wednesday, as part of the facility undergoes a significant renovation. The scene, featuring rubble, construction equipment, and a damaged grandstand, presented a surreal environment for the team ahead of a crucial Group F match.
Midfielder Besfort Zeneli expressed surprise at the surroundings, stating, "I just thought, 'What happened?' As far as I know, there wasn't a storm." The stadium, home to MLS side FC Dallas, is the site of a $182 million renovation project. The construction work continued even as the Swedish team prepared for their training session.
Team manager Stefan Pettersson confirmed that the squad had been informed about the situation prior to their arrival and that the training itself was not impacted. He suggested that a planned demolition had not gone as expected. "They were supposed to demolish something, and it looks like it fell in the wrong direction," Pettersson told Aftonbladet. "Luckily, no one was hurt. They probably detonated it and then something went wrong."
Pettersson noted the players' initial astonishment. "The players were a bit wide-eyed when they arrived," he said. "They said, 'Oh, what the hell happened?'"
FC Dallas later clarified that the incident was part of a planned and controlled demolition within an active construction zone. A club spokesperson stated that the demolition occurred before Sweden's session, utilized a "pull-down demolition method," and did not involve explosives. The spokesperson affirmed that the team completed their scheduled training without issue.
The unusual training environment occurred as Sweden navigated a critical stage of the World Cup. After an opening 5-1 victory against Tunisia, the team suffered a 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands. Entering their final group game against Japan, Sweden was in third place in Group F, needing a win to secure a spot in the knockout rounds.