Elin Rubensson: The Sweden footballer championing change after childbirth

Rubensson has pushed for more maternity rights for players since returning from pregnancy, and will be a key player for national team coach Peter Gerhardsson at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

4 minBy Eleanor Lee
Sweden's Elin Rubensson (R) in action against Germany in February 2023
(2023 Getty Images)

Career or family?

That was the question for Elin Rubensson.

The BK Häcken and Sweden midfielder has been looking forward to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup ever since last year's UEFA Women's European Championships in England.

Speaking exclusively to Olympics.com for its World at their Feet series, Rubensson said, "I have scored a lot of goals and played a lot of tournaments, but still I wanted to be a young mum.

"But it is hard to know when in your career [to have a baby] because every year a new tournament is coming, and in the end I was thinking, 'I can’t let my career decide when we have a baby.'

She and husband Filip decided in 2020, with elite sport on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to try for a child.

Son Frans was born that December with his mother returning to training at BK Häcken just two months later.

Elin Rubensson pushes for change after pregnancy

Pregnancy prompted a flood of emotions for the footballer.

“My reaction when we found out that I was pregnant was just happiness. But, of course, I started to think, ‘What is happening now? Can I play football anymore?’" she told Olympics.com

"You don’t know what is happening to your body after giving birth. Some players can be scared because they don’t know what is happening with their contracts, maybe the club doesn't want to sign a new contract and they have no money.”

Rubensson received just 10 per cent of her club salary during her pregnancy, something which spurred her to push for change with regard to the support players receive when they are considering starting a family.

BK Häcken have since introduced a pregnancy policy to help further support their players with Rubensson pleased at their contribution.

"My club supported me really well. They helped me with the training, and then they paid me the salary, supporting me as much as they could.”

With her husband remaining on paternity leave, Rubensson returned to training in February 2021 just two months after giving birth.

And with the help of her club, she felt her fitness was better than ever post-maternity.

“She was back in the national team nine months after giving birth, which is impossible," explained Marcus Jodin, CEO of BK Häcken. "Or it should be impossible! But she worked hard, our physical team worked really hard and Elin was of course determined to get back."

That hard work bore fruit although Rubensson confessed to Sportbladet that she was "shocked" to be named in the Sweden squad for UEFA Women's 2022.

Rubensson "excited" for 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup

Sweden are always among the fancied nations at major women's football tournament and this FIFA Women's World Cup is no exception.

While you have to go back to 1984 for their last success, the first UEFA European women's title, the Swedes were runners-up at the last two Olympic Games and took third place at the 2019 Women's World Cup in France.

Their confidence was perhaps too great heading into last year's EUROs as they teamed up with their shirt sponsor to release a comprehensive 34-page guide entitied, 'How to stop Sweden'.

Hosts England had clearly been paying attention as they swept them aside 4-0 in the semi-finals before taking the trophy.

With her ability to play in the centre of midfield and at right back, Rubensson is a major asset to the Sweden squad. And she's relishing playing in her third World Cup.

"I am most excited about big games, big crowds," she told Olympics.com.

"I know that the interest for the World Cup is really big this year. We have a lot of good players and a good team, so absolutely we can go the whole way if we do the right thing."

Sweden are well on their way after oustng defending champions USWNT in a dramatic penalty shoot-out in the round of 16.

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