• The first FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup will take place in 2025

• Susan Kiryo hopes to fire Sweden to qualification

• She quit football to become an engineer

Susan Varli was the next big thing. Her hypnotic feet had illuminated Swedish club football. She scored twice against Norway on her debut for the U-23s. She made a list of the 10 biggest prospects in the women’s game alongside the likes of Mana Iwabuchi, Sydney Leroux, Dzsenifer Marozsan, Lieke Martens, Kristie Mewis and Alex Popp. Then Susan the realist entered into debate with Susan the artist. Varli had completed an engineering degree and just finished a master’s in physics. She was earning a pittance in boots. She could make good money designing plans in offices. At 22, she quit the sport. Regret has plagued Varli even since. The women’s game exploded into a lucrative occupation for its stars. Sweden transformed themselves from efficient into exhilarating. Furthermore, they seized back-to-back Olympic silvers and FIFA Women’s World Cup™ bronzes. Susan was thrilled for her nation and her former team-mates Magdalena Eriksson and Olivia Schough, but the realisation that she would never play in a global finals hit her hard. Then came a life-shaking announcement. Susan had got married, been encouraged to give futsal at try by her husband, and become Sweden’s leading markswoman. The news that the first FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup™ would take place in 2025 would give her the chance to realise her dream. One of the most thrilling and deadliest pivots on the planet, the 33-year-old discusses quitting football, her love of Ronaldinho, going to Qatar to play alongside Neymar, and the Swedes’ aspirations of appearing at the historic tournament next year.

Susan Kiryo: I started playing when I was a kid, outside with the boys. Street football, three against three. I’m Swedish, I was born here, but my background’s Syrian. My parents are from the Middle East, so it was a bit difficult for them. A girl playing football, it wasn’t common. We struggled a little bit, but when I was 13 I finally got to play for a team. I was pretty successful. I got to the highest league in Sweden early. I played there for five, six seasons. I played for Hammarby against Caroline Seger, Marta, Ramona Bachmann. I also played for the U-23 national team, but I quit pretty early. I was 21 years old. Back then you couldn’t earn enough money to get by just through football. I’d finished my studies and started to work. I’d done my master’s in physics and was an engineer. I chose a different career and now I regret it. Women’s football exploded just after that.

Definitely. I was one of the best players in Sweden back then. I played alongside Magdalena Eriksson, Olivia Schough. I was thinking how amazing it must be to be them, playing in a World Cup in front of these huge crowds. I think I would have been there if I’d continued playing. Of course I had regrets watching the World Cup, but it was great to see how well Sweden did. Sweden have grown so much. When I was playing, the Swedish game involved a lot of long balls and running. Now they pass it around a lot more. It’s more enjoyable to watch and I would have loved to play with that style. To be honest, I was shocked at the level and style of play at the World Cup. I knew it had improved, but it had improved so much. I think Sweden, England and Brazil, even though they went out in the group stage, were really good to watch. I think last year was the best World Cup ever.

My husband was one of the ones who really pushed me into it. He loves watching football. He’s a huge Liverpool fan. We watches a lot of football every weekend. When I quit football, 11 years ago, he wasn’t in my life. When he heard futsal was starting up in Sweden, a few years later, he said I should give it a shot. I’ve been in the national team since it started, around five years ago. My husband supports me a lot, he’s at every [club] game, he tries to come to the national-team games too. I couldn’t do it without him. To be honest, I think my style of play is suited to futsal. I come from street football. I love having the ball, dribbling. Now I work as an engineer and play futsal.

I love Ronaldinho. When I was young, I was always watching his clips. I tried to copy everything he did. I remember one summer I spent the whole time on the balcony. I was desperate to do the round the world. I didn’t quit until I’d mastered it (laughs). Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still my favourite player. He’s also been a big inspiration for me.

That was a dream. I love Ronaldinho, but Neymar is one of the best as well. There was a competition on Instagram. You had to do some skill, post it and tag Neymar. I was like, ‘I’ll try, who knows?’ He picked seven people from the whole world and I was one of them. I couldn’t believe it! I was supposed to go to Brazil in 2020. COVID came, it got postponed, got postponed again, and in 2022 I got to go to Qatar instead. It was amazing. I was there for a week. Everything was so professional. We had a mixed tournament – boys and girls. On the last day I got to be on Neymar’s team. I got the assist for his winning goal. The feeling was unbelievable. Afterwards, backstage, we got to meet him. People stop me on the streets and say, ‘You’re the girl who met Neymar’. I knew it would be a dream and it surpassed my expectations.

(laughs) I wouldn’t have passed! To be honest, in the national team, I score a lot, but I get almost as many assists as I do goals. At my club, we have everything written down: goals and assists. My stats are almost the same. I get a lot of pleasure out of setting up goals, but I can’t deny it’s always nice to score.

I’d been dreaming about it for such a long time. I always said that I didn’t want to retire before I’d played in the World Cup or the Olympics. But I’m turning 33 soon, I don’t know how long I’ll have left. I always thought, ‘I’ll retire and then they’ll announce a World Cup’. So I was really, really happy. We’re desperate to be a part of it. Qualifying won’t be easy but we’ll give it everything we have.

You don’t win anything on paper. Look at Brazil at the [Women’s] World Cup. They had a really good team but went out in the group stage. When we play how we can, we can beat anyone. Ok, Spain and Portugal are really, really good. They have a lot more experience. After them, I’d say we’re up there with Italy. I’d say we’re at least top five in Europe and I think we’re getting better and better. We’ve been trying to develop our style of play, to play the Brazilian way. I can’t say we’re there yet, but I think we’re getting there.

I have very high goals. When I do something, I want to be the best at it. Since I started playing futsal, I’ve been at the top every year, for the national team and at club level. I’ve never been injured for long. I’m a really good player. I know I have that confidence. I had been nominated a few times, but for whatever reason didn’t get it. I think it was my time. I was very happy. I think it’s a dream for every sportsperson to get that kind of prize.

It's difficult to say because we’ve never played against a team from outside Europe. I’ve watched some games, but it’s not the same when you watch them on TV or stream them online. I know Brazil have a lot of good players. I’ve played against Spain and Portugal and I’d say they have some of the best players in the world. But if you ask me, I’d say I’m one of the top players in the world. I don’t see that many players who have my skill on the ball and ability to read play.

I wake up around 8:30, start my Teams meetings. I work, eat lunch, go to the gym, which is only around 50 metres from my home. I go back to work in the afternoon. Sometimes I go into the city, do some minor things. Then I have training in the evening. I like to visit my mum when I can, get a coffee.

📸 Photos courtesy of the SvFF