Sweden's ascension to become one of the favourites at Euro 2022 this summer has been, so it seems, a long time coming.
When the sport was waking from its imposed slumber at the start of 1970 after bans on women's football were lifted, you only had to look to the Scandinavian triumvirate to find some of the best teams in the emerging game. Whereas Norway and Denmark have risen and fallen (and risen again) over the years, Sweden have remained the consistent performers in the region, never failing to qualify for an Olympic Games or World Cup.