Sweden Wants to Turn the Clocks Back for the 2026 World Cup

The idea may sound absurd at first glance, but the campaign highlights a very real frustration for European football fans preparing for a World Cup hosted across North America.

The 2026 tournament will take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, creating major time-zone challenges for viewers in Europe. Because of the geographical spread of host cities, kick-off times for European audiences are expected to range from early evening all the way to the middle of the night. Some matches involving European teams could begin as late as 4am or 5am in Sweden and other parts of the continent.

The Swedish national team decided to approach the issue with humor. Together with Svenska Spel, the country’s state-owned gambling operator and long-time football sponsor, the team launched a mock petition proposing the creation of “football time” — a temporary national time zone adjustment designed to make World Cup matches easier to watch.

Sweden captain Victor Nilsson Lindelöf backed the campaign publicly and joked that changing time itself was the simplest solution possible.

He explained that representing Sweden at a major international tournament is one of the greatest experiences for any footballer, but admitted that the unusual kick-off times have created a strange new concern: whether supporters will actually be awake to watch the games live.

According to Lindelöf, fans should not be forced to choose between sleep and supporting their national team. The campaign suggests moving Sweden away from standard summer time and temporarily adopting “football time” for the duration of the tournament.

Sweden have been drawn into Group F for the 2026 World Cup alongside the Netherlands, Japan, and Tunisia. Their opening match against Tunisia is currently scheduled for 3am British Summer Time on June 15, meaning Swedish supporters would likely need to stay awake throughout the night or wake up before dawn to watch the game live.

The campaign also received support from sleep researcher Christian Benedict of Uppsala University, who commented on the effects late-night football viewing can have on people’s sleep cycles and daily performance.

Benedict explained that while a major football match at four in the morning may sound exciting, the lack of sleep and disrupted recovery can noticeably affect concentration, mood, and productivity the following day. He admitted the proposal itself is intentionally ridiculous, but argued that it raises a valid discussion about the impact of global sporting schedules on fans living in different time zones.

From a physiological perspective, Benedict noted that evening football is significantly less disruptive to the human body than matches played in the middle of the night.

Anna Johnson, president and CEO of Svenska Spel, also embraced the campaign’s humorous tone while emphasizing its underlying message. She said the idea may sound bizarre, but the emotional connection between fans and the national team is genuine. According to Johnson, major tournaments should be shared experiences that bring the country together, whether people are watching at home, in bars, or with friends outdoors during summer evenings.

At the moment, the petition remains largely symbolic. Only a relatively small number of supporters have officially signed it so far, and Sweden is obviously not expected to alter its national time system for football. Still, the campaign has already succeeded in attracting attention online and starting conversations about the strange realities of hosting a truly global sporting event across multiple continents and time zones.

For Sweden, the hope is simple: if fans cannot change the World Cup schedule, perhaps the country can at least laugh about it together.