Sweden's Seger Breaks Down in Tears During World Cup Fitness Struggle

Sweden's most capped player, Caroline Seger, became emotional during a press conference in Wellington on Wednesday as she shared her struggle to recover from injury in time for Sweden's opening Women's World Cup match against South Africa.

The amiable 38-year-old had refrained from speaking to the media while dealing with persistent calf problems leading up to the tournament. She found it difficult to hold back tears as she disclosed the challenges she faced on her road to recovery.

"At times when I felt like I was making progress, something happened that set me back again. Time just slipped away," she said, her voice trembling before tears welled up.

"In moments of sadness, one should think of happy things," she gathered herself and continued, "I never expected to miss so many matches; it caught me off guard. It has been a tough period."

In April, Seger made a brief appearance as a second-half substitute in Sweden's friendly against Norway but had to be replaced soon after due to recurring injury issues. Since then, she has played sparingly for her club side FC Rosengard. Nonetheless, Sweden's coach, Peter Gerhardsson, took the risk of including her in the 23-player World Cup squad, knowing there was no certainty she would recover in time.

Having made her international debut in 2005, Seger has been a pivotal player in Sweden's midfield, earning 235 international appearances. Her composure and ability to control the game have been instrumental in elevating the performance of those around her.

Despite Sweden not having won a major tournament, Seger can take pride in her two Olympic silver medals (2016 and 2020) and two World Cup bronze medals (2011 and 2019). She also revealed that the upcoming World Cup in Australia and New Zealand will be her fifth and final appearance on such a stage.

"The World Cup has been my ultimate goal all this time, to be there and able to train and play football again means everything to me. I'm extremely proud of the journey I've had," Seger expressed.

"This is my last chance to secure the one medal I'm missing – to be here with the national team. I won't be participating in any more World Cups," she added.

Sweden will commence their Group G campaign against South Africa in Wellington on Sunday, followed by matches against Italy and Argentina.