Gabriel Gudmundsson struggled with injuries and illness ahead of the World Cup, and his participation in the tournament was under serious doubt.
However, he fought back from a bout of serious illness to start in Sweden’s opening game and was taken off after the hour mark after he suffered cramps.
There were concerns around his fitness ahead of the Netherlands game on Sunday. However, Gudmundsson was on the team sheet for the big game.
Sweden suffered a 5-1 hammering at the hands of the Dutch and will now be battling to make it to the knockout rounds in the final group game. However, Gudmundsson earned praise for his effort.
Gabriel Gudmundsson earns Swedish national media praise
Sweden’s performance against the Dutch left plenty to be desired, as they slumped to a heavy 5-1 defeat with several players struggling throughout the match.
Fotbollskanalen’s assessment of the Swedish players was largely unforgiving, with only a handful doing enough against the Netherlands to earn favourable ratings.
Gudmundsson earned a passing mark from the Swedish media outlet.
While they highlighted his unfortunate role in the Netherlands’ second goal, the Leeds defender earned praise for showing the courage to move the ball forward with his incisive runs.
The review of his performance read: “The left-back had an unfortunate toe on the tackle for the 2-0 goal.
“Otherwise, he dared to advance well with the ball when the opportunity arose.”
One of the best signings Leeds made last summer
Leeds knew they needed to replace Junior Firpo last summer, but there was a fair amount of uncertainty over what Gabriel Gudmundsson would bring when he arrived from Lille in a £10m deal.
Any doubts did not last long. The Swedish international quickly established himself as a key figure in Daniel Farke’s side and became one of the first names on the teamsheet during the 2025/26 campaign.
Defensively, Gudmundsson offered greater reliability and discipline than Firpo, helping to give Leeds a more solid foundation at the back. Early on, though, there were questions about whether he could provide enough attacking threat.
Those concerns largely disappeared once Farke tweaked his system and deployed him as a wing-back. The role suited Gudmundsson perfectly, allowing him to get forward more often and become a genuine weapon in the final third.
His adaptability, consistency and willingness to embrace a new role made him one of Leeds’ standout signings of the summer.
If he can carry on his form in the World Cup, it will only further enhance his growing reputation ahead of another important season at Elland Road.
Gabby Gudmundsson was isolated by his own team mates … he spent a lot of his time calling and waving for the ball where he had oceans of space to get forward, and to the by line as he does for Leeds. The Sweden midfielder players constantly tried to pass their way through the middle, without success.