Alex Laybourne: Swedens rise to Top 30 on a shoestring

What does it take for a fully amateur national team to punch above its weight and chase top-30 ambitions? We unpack Sweden’s rise with head coach Alex Laybourne, tracing a bold shift from “show up and play” to a no-excuses culture where standards, clarity, and innovation fuel results. From the outside, it looks improbable: limited budget, a shallow depth chart, and COVID-era hurdles. Inside, it’s a masterclass in identity, ownership, and doing more with less. We start with culture as lived b...