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When the Sweden national team reached their World Cup training base, they were greeted by an unexpected sight — a demolition project in full swing, leaving players momentarily bewildered.

During their Wednesday evening training session, players were surprised to find twisted metal and heaps of construction waste scattered along one side of Toyota Stadium — the home ground of Major League Soccer club FC Dallas.

Midfielder Besfort Zeneli told the Swedish daily Aftonbladet, “I just thought, ‘what happened?’ As far as I knew, there hadn’t been any storm.”

The apparent chaos, however, turned out to be part of a planned construction effort, undertaken earlier that same day as a segment of Toyota Stadium’s ongoing multi-year renovation programme.

In a statement released on Thursday, FC Dallas explained that the activity “was part of a planned and controlled demolition within an active construction zone.”

The area undergoing work has been fenced off since before Sweden began using the stadium as their base camp after arriving in the United States in early June. The club confirmed that the construction has not affected the playing surface or any of the facilities being used by the Swedish squad in Frisco, Texas, located roughly 30 miles north of downtown Dallas.

Nevertheless, the distinctly visible demolition work caught several players off guard as they arrived for training ahead of their decisive Group F match against Japan.

FC Dallas reiterated in its statement that the demolition “was part of a planned and controlled demolition within an active construction zone. The work was conducted using a pull-down demolition method and did not involve explosives.”

No injuries were reported.

The renovation project, being executed in multiple phases, commenced in early 2025 and is expected to be completed before the start of the 2028 MLS season. Despite the ongoing construction, FC Dallas continues to host its regular-season fixtures at the venue.

The construction has had no impact on the pitch or the facilities currently utilised by the Sweden team in Frisco.

For Sweden, the equation ahead of their final group fixture is simple: a victory over Japan guarantees progression to the knockout stage; a draw would likely suffice as well. A defeat, however, could complicate matters for Graham Potter’s side, leaving them dependent on other third-placed teams posting weaker records.

They can only top the group if they win and the Netherlands lose, while a draw would see them remain behind Japan but finish with four points.

Japan, on the other hand, need only avoid defeat to ensure qualification among the top two sides. Even with a heavy loss, they would likely progress as one of the best third-placed teams. Matching or bettering the Netherlands’ result against Tunisia would also secure them first place in the group.