The Swedish women’s national soccer team has never missed an Olympic game since the women’s tournament was introduced to the Olympic program in 1996 in Atlanta. Sweden, USA and Brazil are the only nations that have played in all seven Olympic tournaments and in the last two games (2016 and 2021) Blue and Yellow have taken silver.
In fact, the blue and yellow ladies have never missed a worldwide championship – Sweden has also played nine out of nine possible World Cups.
“Unbelievably big and awesome”
“We are a national team that has been in all the championships, which is incredibly big and awesome,” says center back Linda Sembrant ahead of tonight’s important Olympic qualifying match at home against Italy in Malmö.
The first blue-yellow Olympic boom can come now. The USA and Brazil are already ready for the Olympics in Paris next year, but Sweden has a long and tough road to walk to get there. First of all, there must be victory in the Nations League group with Spain, Italy and Switzerland. After that, victory in a semi-final may be required – only the two final teams join host nation France as Europe’s Olympic participants. If France goes to the final, even a third place is enough.
— The match against Italy is clearly a must-match, but it will be the same afterwards against Switzerland and Spain. We are comfortable with the pressure and are used to it. It’s nothing new, but we see it as a small mini-championship to get to the Olympics, says Kosovare Asllani.
The world’s women’s national team has always prioritized the Olympics – unlike the world’s men’s national team. Since the 1990s, U23 national teams (plus three overage players) have played in the men’s tournament. Even so, there are 16 Olympic spots on the men’s side, while the women have to make do with 12.
“Very few seats”
— We are well aware of the concept that there are very few places to play for, every match is a must-match for us. It is the same for all national teams. The only thing they would have liked is that they had opened up more places on the women’s side, says Kosovare Asllani.
If Sweden is to win the Nations League group and continue the Olympic qualification, it will most likely require – firstly – three straight victories against Italy, Switzerland and Spain. It is unlikely that this summer’s world champions Spain will have dropped any points before hosting Blue and Yellow in Malaga on December 5. In addition, Sweden will need to win the group stage by at least two goals to take care of first place via goal difference in head-to-head meetings with Spain.
Sweden-Italy kick-off at 18.30 tonight in Malmö.