EXCLUSIVE: Hanna Lundkvist on Sweden's aim to lift the 2027 Women's World Cup

[p]A trip to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/italy/fiD8utDF/"]Italy[/a] to face the surprise package of last summer's UEFA Women's EURO presented a very challenging start for a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sweden/hGWL8MmL/"]Sweden[/a] side who, despite a litany of talented players, were on a five-game winless run.[/p][p]But a goal midway through the first half from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/angeldal-filippa/G0VvsllA/"]Filippa Angeldahl[/a] put the Swedes ahead, before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lundkvist-hanna/QBYv42Z4/"]Lundkvist[/a] - winning cap number 30 - helped marshall a new-look back four which held out for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/italy-fiD8utDF/sweden-hGWL8MmL/?mid=rwm2Mg1m"]a first clean sheet and victory[/a] since the EURO 2025 Group Stage.[/p][p]However, there is no respite for Tony Gustavsson's side, who face a second difficult away trip in a few days when they take on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/serbia/nysgULwS/"]Serbia[/a] this afternoon ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/serbia-nysgULwS/sweden-hGWL8MmL/?mid=nVqJIB0C"]7th March, 16:00 CET[/a]), as they aim to remain on maximum points ahead of meetings with rivals [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/denmark/W0rDArJ8/"]Denmark[/a] later in their Group A1 campaign.[/p][p]With only the group winners guaranteed a place at the World Cup in Brazil next summer, a winning start against Italy was key for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/4EeCFcxJ/"]Manchester United[/a]'s Lundkvist, who spoke to Flashscore ahead of the Serbia match.[/p][image alt="Hanna Lundkvist speaking to the media ahead of the Serbia match" id="267f6d7f-da3d-4c0c-b7a7-f9612fb1739f" credit-line="TT News Agency, TT News Agency / Alamy / Profimedia" guid="835a9fa6-e176-491a-b7c2-e8a9836648d8" original-width="1400" original-height="933" /][p][b]After a few disappointing results, you must be delighted to get three points on the board against Italy?[/b][/p][p]"Yes, it was very important. You could feel it was giving a lot of energy to the whole squad, so it was an important win."[/p][p][b]There was some talk in the build-up to the game about how the centre-back pairing of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/andersson-bella/YDWDJXd9/"]Bella Andersson[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nelhage-elma/4zW2NMcf/"]Elma Junttila Nelhage[/a] was very inexperienced. Do you, as defenders, use that as extra motivation?[/b][/p][p]"We don’t really worry about what other people are talking about, because I think we have such a clear idea about how we want to play so, whoever comes in, they know what to do and we know how to help them. So, I think we just wanted to do it more together, I guess, to help each other."[/p][p][b]But it must have made the clean sheet a little bit extra special?[/b][/p][p]"Yes, of course! A clean sheet is always nice but even more nice when it’s the first one in a campaign."[/p][p][b]Looking ahead to Serbia, you beat them a couple of times in 2024. What are you expecting from them this time?[/b][/p][p]"We’re expecting a tough game, we know that they have a lot of good quality players, so we’re ready to be very disciplined in the game and we know what we have to do - and use our strengths - but we know it will be a really hard game, so yeah, we have to be really disciplined and work hard to be able to get the three points."[/p][embed guid="94752096-ff4e-49c7-aeee-45b2c5bede07" url="https://x.com/svenskfotboll/status/2029599508129005652" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]You’re only 23, but when you’re playing alongside players who have a lot fewer caps than you, are you already starting to feel like one of the more experienced players in the group?[/b][/p][p]"Yeah, I think this last game was the first where I was the eldest in the back line. So, it’s still a little bit of a new role, but I’m trying to take that on my shoulders as much as I can, to take responsibility and calm the younger players down a bit, maybe. But, if I didn’t know how many caps they had, I would have thought they would have got so many more than what they have - they are really confident girls and they do it so well. So, I don’t have to do too much for them!"[/p][p][b]Looking ahead to this qualification campaign - a long way to go, but do you have a clear goal about what you want to achieve personally and also as a team?[/b][/p][p]"Our main goal is obviously to lift the trophy at the World Cup in 2027. That’s what we’re aiming towards and working towards - personally and as a team. That’s really all we have in mind."[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/soccer/world/world-cup-women/"]Follow the 2027 Women's World Cup qualifiers on Flashscore[/a][/b][/p]