Sonia Bermúdez Recalls Jenni Hermoso to the Spanish National Team

Jenni Hermoso's return to the Spanish national team after a year is the main highlight in the squad announced by Sonia Bermúdez on Friday for the Nations League semi-finals against Sweden, scheduled for October 24 in Málaga and four days later in Göteborg. The anticipation for the first call-up by the Madrid-born coach since taking charge of the Spanish team was high, with many eyes on the potential return of Jenni Hermoso to the national squad.

The top scorer in the history of the Spanish national team with 57 goals in 123 matches, the Tigres forward last wore the Spain jersey on October 25, 2024, during a 1-1 draw in a friendly against Canada at the Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo. No one imagined then that those would be her last minutes with the national team for a year, but the rift with Montse Tomé soon became apparent, and one of the historic figures of Spanish football saw the doors of the national team close while the echoes of the 'Rubiales case' still lingered.

However, everything has changed with Sonia Bermúdez's arrival on the national team bench. The Vallecas native experienced a similar episode when she was sidelined from the national team by Jorge Vilda, an episode that may have helped her empathize with Jenni Hermoso, whom she did not hesitate to recall at the first opportunity given the striker's excellent form. With 13 goals for Tigres, she is the third top scorer in the Mexican League's Apertura Tournament, and her return seems more than justified based on her achievements.

The tie against Sweden will mark Sonia Bermúdez's debut on the national bench. The Madrid native, appointed to the position on August 11, replacing Montse Tomé after succeeding with the youth categories and introduced to the public by Rafael Louzán a month later, takes the reins of the Spanish national team with the immediate goal of retaining the Nations League title won last year by the reigning world champions after defeating France 2-0 in the final held on February 28, 2024, at the Estadio de La Cartuja.

To achieve this, Spain must first overcome Sweden, one of the traditional powerhouses of world football, currently ranked third in the FIFA rankings, led by the Spanish national team. The Nordic team, which Spain has defeated in their last three encounters, is also entering a new era with the arrival of Tony Gustavsson as head coach.

Formerly the coach of Australia from 2020 to 2024, the 52-year-old from Sundsvall, Sweden, takes over from Peter Gerhardsson, who ended an eight-year tenure with the 'Blagult' after the European Championship held this past summer in Switzerland, where Sweden fell in the quarter-finals to England, who also defeated Spain in a final decided by a penalty shootout.

"Normally, you play some friendly matches before jumping into the fray. Now we will face the best national team in the world directly. It will be a challenge, but also a fun task," highlighted Gustavsson on Tuesday before announcing a squad featuring seven new faces compared to the aforementioned European Championship, retaining stalwarts like Fridolina Rolfö and Kosovare Asllani, and including two players from the Spanish league, Real Madrid's Filippa Angeldahl and Hanna Bennison.

If successful in the double clash with Sweden, Sonia Bermúdez's team will face the winner of the Germany-France match in the final scheduled for December 2, while the third-place play-off will take place four days earlier.