Sweden are the highest ranked team going into Euro 2022 and are among the favourites to go home with the trophy at the end of July.
With back-to-back Olympic silver medals, a third place finish at the 2019 World Cup and a settled squad full of experienced, defensively strong and tactically smart players, the Swedes have so much going in their favour.
But having so often fallen at the final or penultimate hurdle, will they get over the line this time? Here’s everything you need to know about Sweden ahead of Euro 2022.
Sweden secured their place at Euro 2022 by winning Group F ahead of Iceland.
The Swedes dropped only two points from their eight games, drawing 1-1 with Iceland in Reykjavik midway through the campaign. They generally cruised their way through, winning by five or more goals against Hungary home and away, Slovakia home and away and Latvia at home.
Anna Anvegaard and Lina Hurtig scored five and four goals respectively, but defenders Linda Sembrant and Magdalena Eriksson also chipped in with four and three goals respectively. But Sweden’s biggest strength was defensively, conceding only twice in eight games.
Sweden won the first ever Women’s European Championship back in 1984, but it remains their only major tournament triumph to date, despite regularly being a genuine contender.
Euro 1984: Winners
Euro 1987: Runners up
Euro 1989: Third place
Euro 1991: Did not qualify
Euro 1993: Did not qualify
Euro 1995: Runners up
Euro 1997: Semi finals
Euro 2001: Runners up
Euro 2005: Semi finals
Euro 2009: Quarter finals
Euro 2013: Semi finals
Euro 2017: Quarter finals
Sweden have been to every Women’s World Cup, reaching the final once in 2003 and getting as far as the semi-finals on three other occasions. Only once have they failed to reach the knockouts.
1991 World Cup: Third place
1995 World Cup: Quarter finals
1999 World Cup: Quarter finals
2003 World Cup: Runners up
2007 World Cup: Group stage
2011 World Cup: Third place
2015 World Cup: Round of 16
2019 World Cup: Third place
Plenty of Swedish hopes this summer will be pinned on the shoulders of versatile Barcelona forward Fridolina Rolfo. The left-sided star, who moved from Wolfsburg last summer, finished the club season in a full-back role but is expected to be one of the top attackers at Euro 2022.
Rolfo chipped in with nine goals and 10 assists in 26 league appearances for Barcelona last term, She has been part of Sweden’s two silver medal-winning Olympics squads – netting three goals in Tokyo last summer – and at 28 is at her peak.
Keep an eye on 19-year-old Hanna Bennison, who is the only player in the Sweden squad younger than 24. Despite her age, the Everton midfielder already has a strong amount of senior international experience – she more caps under her belt than several older members, and will bring flair, intelligence and creativity to the tournament.
Peter Gerhardsson has been Sweden coach since 2017, masterminding last summer’s journey to the Olympic final and impressive opening victory over the United States,
The 62-year-old was working in men’s football before that, having been in charge at Hacken for seven years until 2017. Since 2002 he has also been Under-17 men’s national coach and an assistant coach at Helsingborg.
Sweden’s teenage midfielder Hanna Bennison was the most expensive female player in the world in 2021, costing Everton a ‘six figure’ sum when she made the switch from Rosengard in the autumn.
Netherlands vs Sweden
Date & time: Saturday 9 July, 20:00 (BST)
Venue: Bramall Lane
How to watch on TV: BBC One (UK)
Sweden vs Switzerland
Date & time: Wednesday 13 July, 17:00 (BST)
Venue: Bramall Lane
How to watch on TV: BBC Two (UK)
Sweden vs Portugal
Date & time: Sunday 17 July, 17:00 (BST)
Venue: Leigh Sports Village
How to watch on TV: BBC iPlayer (UK)
Sweden should have no trouble getting through the group stage, with wins over Switzerland and Portugal to be expected. But they will have a tougher time against reigning champions Netherlands and their opening clash against them could determine who finishes top of the standings.
Topping the group would set up a quarter-final with the runner up of Group D, which is likely to be Italy or Iceland. The semi-final on that side is the winner of Group A or the Group B runner up, which is expected to be England, Germany or Spain.
Finishing as Group C runner up would mean a quarter final against Group D’s winner, potentially France. After that, it would be a semi-final against the runner up for Group A or the Group B winner; likely Norway, Spain or Germany.
Goalkeepers: Hedvig Lindahl (Atletico Madrid), Jennifer Falk (Hacken), Zecira Musovic (Chelsea).
Defenders: Jonna Andersson (Hammarby), Linda Sembrant (Juventus), Hanna Glas (Bayern Munich), Amanda Nilden (Juventus), Magdalena Eriksson (Chelsea), Emma Kullberg (Brighton), Amanda Ilestedt (PSG), Nathalie Bjorn (Everton).
Midfielders: Filippa Angeldahl (Man City), Caroline Seger (Rosengard), Hanna Bennison (Everton), Elin Rubensson (Hacken), Olivia Schough (Rosengard).
Forwards: Lina Hurtig (Juventus), Kosovare Asllani (Real Madrid), Sofia Jakobsson (San Diego Wave), Stina Blackstenius (Arsenal), Rebecka Blomqvist (Wolfsburg), Fridolina Rolfo (Barcelona), Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Hacken).
Sweden have been the ‘nearly’ team on so many occasions over the last 35 years, but 2022 will be when that finally all changes and they get their hands on a first major trophy since 1984.
They have been Europe’s highest ranked team by FIFA for some time and this is an experienced squad at its peak – glory for them is now or never.
For more from Jamie Spencer, follow him on Twitter and Facebook!
