GENEVA (AP) ā It is rare in top-level soccer for a player to be tasked with marking their life partner who is also the opponentās star striker.
Sweden defender Magdalena Erikssonās job Friday is stopping the threat of Denmark captain Pernille Harder in their opening game at the .
They have been a couple for 11 years whose influence and inspiration goes beyond sports, since a photograph went viral of their kiss after a game at the 2019 World Cup in France.
Ahead of their game in Geneva, the previous clash for the pair ā each with more than 100 national-team appearances ā was a celebrated victory for Eriksson in February.
Showing no personal favors as Sweden captain that evening, Erikssonās tough challenges late in a Nations League game left their mark. Harder had treatment for an injured side then got Erikssonās elbow in her face when they wrestled at a corner near the end of Swedenās 2-1 win.
Harder smiled ruefully after that foul was judged and seemed content last month that Eriksson was suspended for the return game when finishing top of the group was at stake.
āAs a football player, itās nice that Magda wonāt play. But also to avoid these duels between us,ā the Denmark captain said ahead of her team losing 6-1.
A running joke this year has been that the loser must do the washing up at their home, and a Swedish fan's banner in Solna four weeks ago read: āPernille tar diskenā (Pernille does the dishes).
Eriksson and Harder have embraced their status as LGBTQ+ icons in soccer since the 2019 kiss in Paris, on the sidelines of in the round of 16.
āI didnāt realize until that picture came out how big of an inspiration we actually are for a lot of people,ā Harder after the tournament, when both signed with soccerās Common Goal social program.
Eriksson said the reaction to the photo āmade me understand that, āOK, I am actually a role model to peopleā.ā
They donate 1% of their salary to Common Goal and support its Play Proud project.
Eriksson explained more of her personal philosophy in a film the couple made in 2022 with Vogue magazineās Scandinavian edition.
āThatās something my dad always taught me when I was younger was to have integrity, to stand up for what you believe in,ā she said. āItās very important to stay true to my values.ā
Eriksson and Harderās relationship started in 2014 when teammates at Swedish club Linkƶping, and they were reunited at Chelsea and now with Bayern Munich.
They have faced each other twice, in 2018 on opposite sides of a Champions League semifinal ā Harder scored as Wolfsburg eliminated Erikssonās Chelsea ā and in a World Cup qualifying game that saw Sweden advance.
Now their friendly rivalry finally lands on a tournament stage at Euro 2025.
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AP soccer:
Graham Dunbar, The Associated Press
