When Felicia Schröder was sold by BK Häcken to Real Madrid, she reportedly became the most expensive women’s player in the world to date.
She has already started paying dividends for the club, scoring twice in the Champions League and five goals in the Spanish league at the start of the season.
It’s still a big step to leave home and move to Europe. So I’m incredibly impressed that she’s made such a strong start. It’s great fun, says former Häcken teammate and Sweden goalkeeper Jennifer Falk.
“Incredibly good shape”
But success has not yet come for Schröder with the national team. In 11 international matches, she has yet to score. One of national team coach Tony Gustavsson’s challenges ahead of Sweden’s World Cup playoff against Lithuania is to get one of Europe’s hottest strikers firing for the Blue and Yellows as well.
The easiest way to get Felicia to score her first goal for the national team is to tell her, “Just go for it.” She’s in incredibly good shape now, so she should be given the same role she has at Real Madrid. She should be able to play the same way here as she does there, he says.
During the ongoing playoff campaign, Gustavsson has talked a lot about simplifying things, saying there have been too many changes in a short time since he took over as national team coach a year ago.
Introducing a new exercise in training, a new variation on set pieces, a new match structure or new players in new positions, and so on. The number of changes became too much.
“Not worried”
The new approach will also be important in helping Felicia Schröder score for the national team. The striker should play as a number nine and nothing else.
She shouldn’t have to think about a lot of changes, about playing as a number 10, dropping deep to link up play and so on. She should be Felicia Schröder. Then the chances will come, and she will score goals, I’m convinced of that.
Jennifer Falk is just as convinced as the national team coach that Felicia Schröder will soon find the net in the national team jersey.
She has it in her. It will come. I’m not worried, she says.
Name: Felicia Schröder.
Age: 19.
Position: Forward.
Club: Real Madrid (Spain).
Previous club: BK Häcken.
National team: 11 senior caps for Sweden.
Honours: Swedish Championship gold in 2025 and European Cup title with Häcken in 2025–2026.
