Barcelona players have been representing their various countries in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament. Some of them have gone ahead to secure qualification into the round of 16 for their country, and some are on the verge of disqualification.
However, the former is the case for Fridolina Rolfo and Sweden. With two wins in their first two group stage games, the “Blagult” have now secured a spot in the round of 16. They join a host of other countries, such as Spain, Japan, and England, that have secured their qualification for the knockout stages.
Sweden won their first game of the tournament with a 2-1 victory over South Africa. Fridolina Rolfo scored the equalizer for Sweden in the 65th minute of the game before she was replaced 2 minutes later, thus helping her team secure their first 3 points in the competition.
A match against Italy proved to be the deciding factor in Sweden’s qualification. However, the game appeared to be a walk in the park for the “Blue and Yellow,” as they ended the game with a 5-0 victory over Italy.
Again, like in the opening game, Rolfo was present to make her contribution to her team’s success. The Barcelona star scored the second goal of the game in the 44th minute, before being replaced in the 62nd minute of the game.
Sweden now sits at the top of the table in Group G with 6 points, above second placed Italy, who have 3 points, and South Africa and Argentina, who have 1 point each.
The victory over Italy seals Sweden’s qualification into the round of 16, setting them up for a potential meetup against the winner or runner-up of Group E (USA, Netherlands, Portugal, and Vietnam), depending on the standings at the end of the group stage round.
