16-Year-Old Star Eyes EM Final for Sweden

Sweden's U19 women's football team is heading to the European Championship semi-finals, carrying the hopes of a nation after the men's World Cup exit. At the heart of the squad is 16-year-old prodigy Fanny Peterson, who feels the team has "something extra" that could lead them to victory.

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I think we really have something extra.

Peterson, a standout talent from Hammarby, has had a remarkable spring, scoring dream goals in domestic and European competitions, netting her first Allsvenskan goal, and extending her contract until 2029. Now, she is preparing for the EM semi-final in Bosnia-Herzegovina, a tournament where most of her teammates are two years older.

"It's a bit special. I was playing the U17 European Championship qualifiers almost recently," Peterson said, laughing. "But you don't think about it when you train or play; the conditions are the same for everyone."

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It's a bit special. I was playing the U17 European Championship qualifiers almost recently. But you don't think about it when you train or play; the conditions are the same for everyone.

The Swedish team secured their semi-final spot after a tough qualifying campaign, including a 1-0 win over Poland, a 5-0 victory against hosts Bosnia-Herzegovina, and a narrow 0-2 loss to Germany while playing with ten players. They now face Spain, the four-time defending champions and clear favorites.

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People talk about Spain and Germany. It's really fuel for the whole team to try and show that we are contenders.

Despite Spain's dominance, Peterson believes Sweden is a hungry underdog. "People talk about Spain and Germany. It's really fuel for the whole team to try and show that we are contenders," she stated. "I hope we can give something to the fans, from this national team too."

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I hope we can give something to the fans, from this national team too.