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Sweden is back at the FIFA World Cup for 2026, a journey that hasn't always been a given for a nation that is often more known for its hockey.
Leading the line for the Swedes at this tournament in North America is Alexander Isak, the former Newcastle and current Liverpool striker.
If the Swedish side is going to make a run in this tournament, it will likely include Isak banging goals into the back of the net.
His journey to representing Sweden includes a powerful story of his parents to reach this point.
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How is Alexander Isak eligible for Sweden?
On a basic level, Isak was born in Stockholm, so he's a native Swede.
His parents aren't from Sweden, though.
They were first in Eritrea, a country in East Africa that dealt with major wars in the 1990s.
Isak's parents fled Eritrea and settled in Sweden, and so that's where Isak was born.
Isak began his footballing journey in Sweden with his local club, AIK.
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He also has always represented Sweden internationally, even dating back to the youth levels.
Entering this World Cup, Isak has played 58 games for Sweden and has 17 goals.
Isak was the youngest-ever goal scorer for the Swedish national team.
At club level, he went from AIK to Borussia Dortmund, had a brief loan spell with Willem, then went to Real Socieded, Newcastle United and now Liverpool.
More FIFA World Cup news:
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- Mexico has a World Cup… duck?
- Lawrence, Kansas has fallen in love with the Algerian national team
- Germany fan Freddy is going viral for his journey through the American South
Billy Heyen
Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who spent his senior year following Jim Boeheim's basketball team around the country. His reporting work has also included extensive high school sports coverage at the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. Adventures in sports writing have also led to in-person coverage of the Buffalo Sabres, Cleveland Guardians, U.S. men's national soccer team and a variety of minor league baseball stories. When people ask if he's seen a movie, the answer is usually "No, I was probably watching sports." Even away from sports, his main hobby is running (much slower than any athlete in these pages).
Source: Sporting News
