Photo: Brandon Hattiloney
This Sunday, October 13th, the Great Britain Lions will face Sweden in a crucial IFAF European Championship qualifier. The game kicks off at 2 pm UK time, with fans able to watch live on IFAF TV.
These two powerhouses have met four times, with Sweden leading the all-time series 3-1. Their last encounter in 2019 saw Sweden dominate, winning 36-14. Here’s a look at the past results between the two nations:
2009: Great Britain 31-7 Sweden
2010: Sweden 14-2 Great Britain
2017: Sweden 15-12 Great Britain
2019: Sweden 36-14 Great Britain
Great Britain will be hungry for redemption after their last defeat, but Sweden is never an easy opponent having seemingly been one of the top 4 teams in Europe for the past two decades.
Both teams competed fiercely in the 2022/23 IFAF European Championship. Great Britain finished 5th, narrowly beating Denmark in the 5th Place Playoff. Their journey through the tournament saw a tough 28-23 loss to Italy, a gritty 7-6 victory over France, and a 30-22 win against Denmark.
On the other hand, Sweden finished 4th in the tournament after a strong run in the group stages, defeating Serbia and Switzerland before falling to Finland in the semi-final and Italy in the 3rd Place Playoff.
Looking towards the European League of Football (ELF) for players to highlight in the matchup we have identified the following players:
Sweden
Aslan Zetterberg (DE, Paris Musketeers): A dominant force in the ELF, Zetterberg has accumulated 165 tackles and 28 sacks across 50 games.
Hugo Dyrendahl (LB, Frankfurt Galaxy): With 135 tackles this season, Dyrendahl ranks among the top defenders in ELF.
Ludvig Myrén (LB, Berlin Thunder): A tackling machine with 346 total tackles in three ELF seasons.
Theodor Landström (WR, Hamburg Sea Devils): A deep threat, Landström has racked up 918 yards and 10 touchdowns in the ELF.
Great Britain
Lawrence Cornwall-Baptiste (OT, Prague Lions): A consistent performer in the ELF, starting 32 out of 34 games over three seasons.
Deon Mutsvanemoto (OG, Helvetic Mercenaries): A reliable offensive guard, started 10 games in 2024.
Lewis Thomas (C/OG, Paris Musketeers): With 29 starts in the ELF, Thomas will anchor GB’s offensive line.
The Swedish squad boasts an impressive defence led by experienced players like Zetterberg and Dyrendahl, who will look to pressure the GB offensive line early. Great Britain, however, has a wealth of talent in the trenches, with an offensive line made up of several ELF standouts, including Thomas and Sayer and an impressive front seven on the defence made up of members of the impervious London Warriors National Championship-winning defence. Head Coach Jason Scott is confident in his team’s ability to compete physically, telling us on the Inside Britball podcast, "I think it’s going to be won and lost in the trenches." Scott added, “We’ve got a really good defensive front, a really exciting defensive front and our offensive line is something really special”.
Sweden’s new Head Coach, Björn Mazetti, will be looking to build on his successful youth team background and bring fresh energy to the senior squad. Jason Scott sees parallels between Sweden’s current situation and Great Britain’s rebuilding phase a few years ago. “We anticipate a really tough game... The Finnish and the Swedes are consistently in that top group, and we want to break into that group,” Scott shared.
With Sweden ranked 4th in Europe and GB finishing 5th in the last tournament, both teams will be eager to solidify their status among Europe’s elite. A win here could be a significant step toward a successful 2024 Championship run. Can GB break Sweden’s dominance in the rivalry, or will the Swedes maintain their upper hand?
Tune in on Sunday for Great Britain Lions vs Sweden for what promises to be an intense and closely fought battle.