-Absolutely incredible-Football European Championship 2025

– Oh, my God. Hello!

Spanish Iolanda López (51) sits in front of a PC screen at home in Barcelona and doesn’t quite think what she sees.

With big eyes, via FaceTime, she sees her absolute favorite player and Idol Ingrid Syrstad Engen sitting down and greets.

– Finally, we meet each other, says the Norwegian national team player with a big smile.

A special moment – and a moment no Of them, ever thought would take place.

To understand the incredible story, we must first rewind.

Earlier in the European Championships Published namely NRK an article Where Norway’s national team players told of a mental grip that had been introduced before the European Championships:

All the players should find something that gave them inspiration and hang it up on a poster in the Norway wardrobe.

Ingrid Syrstad Engen chose to hang up a picture of what she described as an older married couple who both had Barcelona suits with her names on her back.

“I don’t know who it is, but it’s very nice to see that you can inspire both young and old to keep up with us,” Engen said, adding that she “very happy to have a chat with them”.

NRK got a tip

But to NRK, she was clear that she had zero expectations that we would be able to find them, since she assumed they were Spanish.

But thanks to one of NRK’s ​​readers who did some detective work, we got a credible tip about who the people in the picture could be.

NRK’s ​​reporter thus sent an inquiry and asked:

“Is this happened to be in this picture?”

A woman named Iolanda López answered our email just ten minutes later:

– Yes, it’s me and my dad.

Sometimes the real world is better than an adventure …

“Follow the number nine”

To NRK, she can tell that she and Dad Rafel López (84) are sworn Barcelona supporters, who live just five minutes away from Camp Nou, and that they put their love early on Syrstad Engen.

In fact, the football -happy family Syrstad Engen already discovered when Barcelona played against LSK women in 2019.

– I told Dad, follow number nine at LSK, she is an incredible player. And when the fight was over, he said to me, “Okay, now we have to follow the Norwegian league.”

It was the start of the unusual story. Syrstad Engen has been the family’s favorite player since then – and they have followed her closely both in Wolfsburg and the Norwegian national team.

And the dream later came true when the Norwegian profile signed for just Barcelona in 2021.

We therefore had to ask both parties: Should NRK arrange it so that you can talk on FaceTime?

There was no doubt about it-and one day we later joined a heartwarming session on a roof terrace in Neucchatel, where Norway has an EM base.

– Absolutely incredible

Through NRK’s ​​PC they meet for the first time – and find the tone immediately.

– I was actually in Basel and saw Norway against Switzerland in the European Championships, says López.

– Is it true? replies a surprised Syrstad Engen.

– We had a lot of fun, Norway won and you played an excellent match.

Only Iolanda López participates in the conversation from Spain.

She says that her father would have liked to be there, but he got a stroke a month and a half before the famous picture was taken – and struggles with both memory and health.

– The first thing he said when he left the hospital afterwards was “I want to go to the stadium to see Barcelona’s women’s team. The team needs our support, and I’m sure Ingrid will join the team lineup. I’ll do my best to be ready. ”

Syrstad Engen then says that it was actually her father who took the picture of Iolanda and Rafel López at the time.

– It’s absolutely incredible, right. That the picture Dad took off you ends up being a picture of people who have followed me my whole career. It is very beautiful, says the Norway profile.

– means a lot to me

The conversation flows easily, they have fun together. Syrstad Engen emphasizes how much it means to her to have people like López in the back.

Iolanda López replies that the Norwegian national team player is easy to support.

– I mean you inspire many people. It’s not always just about who scores the most goals or is the most popular. The most important thing is, as my father says, to be a team player. And you are the biggest team player I’ve seen. You are absolutely incredible. You have to continue like now, says López.

– It’s something that is very important to me. And it means a lot to hear this from someone who doesn’t actually know me, and sees it from the other side, replies a touched Syrstad Engen.

– Ingrid, be happy

Iolanda López thinks the picture has ended up meaning a lot to them too.

– For us, this picture, “Ingrid, be happy, enjoy the football, enjoy every match, you are an incredible footballer. And you seem like an incredible person. And if you enjoy the football, we enjoy it with you, says López.

– It is also the way I think about that picture. I do this for the people cheering on me and who enjoy watching me play. And you are right, sometimes I can be better at enjoying myself even more, she says.

And adds:

– It is a sport with a lot of pressure, but the most important thing is to have fun. And when I have both my family and people like you in the back, it means everything. Thank you, she says.

Comes on Lyon visits

Syrstad Engen emphasizes that, although she has now changed clubs and will play for Lyon in the future, she will “always have Barcelona in her heart”.

López will continue to support Syrstad Engen and follow her career.

– As soon as we have Lyon’s schedule we will visit, go to the stadium and enjoy a match you play. And we will wear the Barcelona suits with number 23 on the back, she says.

– Tell me, I’ll recognize you there. And greet your father from me.

– Yes, he’s not going to believe this.

– I wish you all the best. And thank you for following me and continuing to follow me.

– my dad is in shock

A few hours after the heartwarming session, NRK receives a new email from Iolanda López.

HUn had then visited his father, shown him the NRK article and told what had happened.

– My dad is in shock, but very happy. Thank you so much for an incredible moment, she says.

López had also brought a greeting to Ingrid Syrstad Engen from his father:

“Hi, Ingrid. Thank you! “

Football is not just a game …