It is hard for me to put into words just how much excitement I am feeling about this Euros. I am almost scared about how much I am looking forward to it.
Big-tournament football in front of big crowds is like a dream come true for all of us. It is what we have grown up watching – except then, it was the men playing.
I have already had a taste of what we can expect from our warm-up game against Brazil last Tuesday in Stockholm. We had a record attendance for a Swedish women’s international of 33,218 fans and I had to fight to hold back the tears when singing the national anthem.
It was not just Sweden either – Denmark got 21,542 for their game against the Brazilians in Copenhagen – so this just makes the build-up all the more exciting.
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Amid all the positivity, I do understand why people have questioned the choice of stadiums, though. Yes, there is a record overall attendance of more than 400,000 already guaranteed and – yes, again – I am really looking forward to playing in front of some packed, compact stadiums but you cannot help but wonder how many more tickets might have been sold at bigger venues. We will never know. As I said, a lot has happened since the last Euros and perhaps people did not expect it to be this big but it just shows you should never underestimate women’s football.
With the extra interest there will be more media attention too, with more in-depth coverage. This will mean more opinions about us and that is something we have to be prepared for and accept. If you make a mistake there will be a greater focus, though no one is more demanding about my performances than I am myself. One thing I will do is avoid going on social media very often as there is no point in taking the risk of finding negative comments.
Hopes for Sweden
Our 3-1 win over Brazil last week was a good benchmark for us and overall we have looked sharp in training and have two good players in every position. We won silver at the Olympics last summer and our national media are now asking if we can take the next step. It is a challenge being talked about more but we have to keep our focus and not get carried away.
We have a collective confidence but we have to be on it from the start with an opening group game against our old enemy, the Netherlands.
We got knocked out by them at the last European Championship and also in the World Cup semi-finals in 2019 so we have a wish for revenge. It motivates me a lot – and the fact I will be facing some tough players I know well from the WSL will spur me on even more.
I know England beat the Dutch 5-1 in a friendly but that scoreline was not reflective of the first half, at least. The thing about the Euros is any team can take points – the lower-level teams here are on a higher level than the equivalent at the Olympics or World Cup.
Hosts in with a shot
As for the top teams, I am wary of predicting a winner. If I were to start naming all the possible winners, it would be a long list. Of course, England look really strong. They are a solid team with depth in their squad and a good coach in Sarina Wiegman. And in Lauren Hemp they could have a candidate for the tournament’s best young player.
Whatever happens, I hope we can get more girls playing and show them the joy of football and being part of a team. Our dreams are coming true and the fact we can inspire others at the same time makes this doubly special. It feels to me like women’s football is in a place where there are no limits any more. I hope we can look back and say, “Look at what happened after these Euros” and reflect on how many more girls have begun playing and how the sport has grown even bigger.
Six strikers I’m looking out for
1 Marie-Antoinette Katoto (France)
She has shown real consistency in front of goal over the past couple of years. She is a proper No 9 who is there in the box, and playing for a really good national team means she will get chances.
2 Ada Hegerberg (Norway)
I am so pleased she is back playing for her national team after nearly five years away. She deserves to be on the big stage and is at her best on these big occasions.
3 Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands)
She is a striker you can never ignore her and has proved her consistency for Arsenal in the WSL. She will be a big threat to us in our first game.
4 Pernille Harder (Denmark)
She is not your typical No 9 but she loves to take the responsibility as a game-changer. She knows she has a big role to fill with Denmark and I hope, and believe, she will be very influential.
5 Fridolina Rolfo (Sweden)
She goes into the Euros on a run of form I have never seen before. You can see how much confidence she has got from playing for Barcelona. She is strong in one-on-ones and creates chances – she will be very important for us.
6 Fran Kirby (England)
She is an extremely talented footballer and I know from going up against her in training how difficult it is to stop her. It’s great seeing her back out there and I’m excited to see what she can do for England.
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