Sweden's captain and lead sponsor call for clocks to be turned back by seven hours during the World Cup

"This is the simplest solution in the world to allow everyone to watch our matches at convenient times," says team captain Victor Lindelöf, who is leading the petition campaign.

Several of Sweden's group stage matches are scheduled for the night (15 June at 04.00 CET against Tunisia, 26 June at 01.00 CET against Japan), making it difficult for fans to view them. The men's national team and Svenska Spel aim to highlight the impact of these late kick-offs on Swedish supporters, families, and all those wishing to watch the matches live through this petition. Captain Victor Lindelöf heads the campaign and adds:

"Wearing the national team shirt in a major tournament is unquestionably one of the finest experiences a footballer can have. However, this is the first time I find myself concerned about whether the Swedish public will be awake to watch us play. That is not fair. So we want to switch from summer time to football time, enabling all of Sweden to support us without having to rise in the middle of the night," says Victor Lindelöf.

The petition can be found at fotbollstid. nu and will continue until Sweden's opening match of the competition.

"The suggestion might seem ridiculous, but the underlying issue is genuine. When Sweden plays, the maximum number of people should be able to take part. Whether at home on the sofa, in outdoor cafes, or with groups of friends. Every Swede should be able to share the thrill, camaraderie, and delight of the national team without having to wake up in the early hours," says Anna Johnson, Chief Executive and President of Svenska Spel.

If there is sufficient support, Svenska Spel reportedly intends to discuss the matter with the government.