Eagle of Norrköping: Swedish second-tier player taking on his country of birth

Eagle of Norrköping: Swedish second-tier player taking on his country of birth
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Tunisia right-back Moutaz Neffati was born in Norrköping, progressed through the youth system at IFK Norrköping, and now plays for the side that was relegated from Allsvenskan to the second-tier Superettan for the 2026 season.

This makes him the only World Cup squad member whose club football is in Sweden, aside from Blågult's own Kristoffer Nordfeldt (AIK), Taha Ali (Malmö) and Elliot Stroud (Mjällby).

Neffati also represented Sweden at under-19 and under-21 levels, earning a cap for the older age group as recently as 2025, the same year he switched his international allegiance to Tunisia, the country of his heritage.

The 21-year-old made his debut in Tunisia's final World Cup qualifier, a 3-0 win over Namibia in October 2025, before picking up two more caps at the FIFA Arab Cup in December. His fourth and fifth appearances came against fellow World Cup participants Haiti in Canada during the March international window, around the time Sweden secured the final spot in Group F by winning the playoffs.

He was travelling on the Norrköping team bus when it was announced that he would be part of Sabri Lamouchi's squad for the World Cup: "I can hardly believe it! It’s difficult to take in," he exclaimed.

Whether Neffati gets on the pitch against the country of his birth at Estadio BBVA in the early hours of 15th June (CEST) remains uncertain. He did not feature in either of the two warm-up matches for The Eagles of Carthage earlier this month, defeats to Austria and Belgium.

He has been more involved for Norrköping in 2026, scoring twice in 11 appearances across all competitions, including finding the net against top-tier GAIS in Svenska Cupen, and he has occasionally captained the side this season.

The meeting of the two nations whose citizenships he holds will be a proud moment in the full-back's young career, but many fans being priced out of what should be a joyful occasion is what occupies Neffati's mind.

"I know that many people do not have that opportunity in Tunisia. It is very expensive for many Swedes too, to get there and then to Dallas and then to Houston," he said, before revealing that his parents will not be travelling to North America.