Elin Rubensson’s incredible journey to World Cup Down Under

EIin Rubensson arrived in New Zealand with the difficult, almost impossible, mission of replacing Caroline Seger. The Swedish legend, with 233 international caps to her name (a European record), suffered a foot injury just over a year ago. She underwent surgery and, although she was included in Peter Gerhardsson’s squad, she is not physically ready to play an important role on the pitch. At 38, she knows that she is at her last World Cup, but also that it is her turn to help from the sidelines. “I know the role I have to play,” she says.

Gerhardsson had an important void to fill. And he found the perfect player: Rubensson. The versatile Swede had been operating as a pivot for some time with her team, Swedish side Häcken. “I’ve played a lot as a defensive midfielder in the last year and I think it’s a really fun role. That’s where I train the most now. I do the best I can in every training session,” Rubensson says.

“I excel in the touch game. But I’ve also played a lot at full-back. That’s why I’m defensively minded. I’ve helped balance the team and joined in defensively, but I’ve also been deployed in our attacks. Overall, I’ve felt good,” adds the Swedish player when asked about her role with the national team.

Rubensson is a jack-of-all-trades. She herself has explained that she can play everywhere except as a goalkeeper. At this World Cup, she has been the pillar of a Sweden team that has only conceded two goals in five games.

The secret

Rubensson is in the best spell of her career. When asked how, at the age of 30, she is better than ever, she explains: “I am a mother now”. The soccer player wanted to be a mother young and took advantage of the break during the covid pandemic to fulfill another of her dreams. “You don’t know what happens to your body after giving birth,” she explained after the birth of her son. “My club supported me. They helped me with my training, along with my physiotherapist.”

Just two months after giving birth, she was able to resume training. She managed to bring her fitness levels to heights she didn’t reach even before her maternity period. “I played my first game after three months. That’s pretty quick.”

Nine months after giving birth she returned to the national team. Now, two years later, she hopes to fulfill another dream: to become a world champion.