Autor: Kristina Němcová (@stinanemcova)
it’s February 21, 2025. Denmark and Sweden are facing each other in the Nations League. The captains of both teams walk up to one another and shake hands. Both wear a slight, mischievous smile. Though they are rivals tonight, they have shared more than a decade of life together.
The whole story began in the Swedish league, the Damallsvenskan—specifically in Linköping, where around 2014 an exceptionally strong generation of future stars came together. Alongside current Arsenal head coach Renée Slegers, there were also Stina Blackstenius, Fridolina Rolfö, and of course Magdalena Eriksson and the young Danish forward Pernille Harder.
Back then, their names were still relatively unknown in world football, but with Linköping they won two cups and one Damallsvenskan title. And besides the promising sporting careers being forged in Linköping, another story was unfolding there—a personal one. The then 21-year-old Swedish defender and the one-year-older Danish striker connected not only on the pitch, but off it as well.
Their relationship reportedly began when Pernille invited Magda over for math course. And that’s how one of the most iconic and visible lesbian couples—not only in football, but in sports in general—came to be. A photo of them sharing a kiss after one of Sweden’s matches, with Pernille wearing a Swedish jersey to support her girlfriend, became a valuable boost for LGBTQ visibility in sports.
Their relationship endured even after both left Linköping in 2017. Magda headed to Chelsea in London, while Pernille tried her luck in the German league, specifically at Wolfsburg. For three years they had to manage long-distance, but the relationship survived—and in 2020 Pernille transferred to Chelsea, in what was the most expensive move in women’s football at the time.
It was worth it for Chelsea: Harder helped the London giant to three league titles with her 24 goals. In 2023, they both left Chelsea and moved to Munich, where they continued their impressive run and helped Bayern secure a domestic treble.
The scene from the beginning is one we likely won’t see again. Magdalena recently ended her international career, meaning she will no longer face her partner, who captains the Danish national team. But they continue to fight together for both domestic and European trophies at Bayern—and last year, they got engaged.
