Stefan Schwarz to draw teams for 2018 World Intellectual Impairment Sport World Football Championships

Sweden’s former midfielder Stefan Schwarz will carry out the draw for the 2018 International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) World Football Championships in host city Karlstad on Friday (20 April).

The draw will be shown live at World Intellectual Impairment Sport Youtube channel from 3pm (CEST).

Eight teams including hosts Sweden, Argentina, France, European title holders Poland, defending champions Saudi Arabia, Japan and Russia will go into the draw for the competition being held from 5-18 August.

They will be separated into two groups with the top two teams from each advancing to the semi-finals.

Players will get to experience five stadiums across four different cities in Sweden – Karlstad, Kil, Arvika and Kristinehamm.

In Karlstad the Tingvalla idrottsplats and Orsholmen’s idrottsplats will host group matches.

Group matches will also be held in Sannerudsvallen, Solviksvallen and Sannaheden stadiums in Kil, Arvika and Kristinehamm respectively.

The semi-finals will be held on 14 August at Tingvalla. The third place game and final take place in the same stadium on 18 August.

Sweden will get to kick-off the Championships in the opening game, also at Tingvalla, on 5 August.

Schwarz is not the first high profile Swedish player to lend his support to football for players with intellectual impairments.

For the last World Championships in Sao Paulo in 2014 striker Zlatan Ibrahimović paid for the Swedish men’s team’s travel to Brazil.