MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) 鈥� Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the soccer royalty gracing the World Cup in North America.
If you want real-life aristocracy, head to Sweden鈥檚 squad.
Gustaf Lagerbielke, a 26-year-old defender who played the entire match in Sweden鈥檚 5-1 defeat of Tunisia on Sunday, is a baron from a noble family in Sweden. His father and grandfather are counts.
Soccer players typically come from modest backgrounds 鈥� take Messi and Ronaldo, for example.
Not Lagerbielke.
鈥淚 mean, it鈥檚 rare,鈥� he said in an interview ahead of the World Cup.
Lagerbielke grew up in Djursholm, a wealthy suburb in the Swedish capital, Stockholm. When he played soccer as a kid, he says he had the family鈥檚 coat of arms on his shin pads.
鈥淲hen I was kid, I wanted to become a professional footballer,鈥� Lagerbielke said after Sunday’s match in Monterrey. 鈥淭hey have taught me goals. They are very happy for me and very proud.鈥�
Lagerbielke鈥檚 heritage has been a talking point throughout a career that has taken him from Sweden (AIK, Sollentuna, V盲ster氓s, Elfsborg and Degerfors) to Scotland (Celtic) and now Portugal.
Sections of the British media reported he was 254th in line to the Swedish throne, though Lagerbielke said 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if it鈥檚 true.鈥�
鈥淏ut I think for it to happen,鈥� he added, 鈥渁 lot of people need to go away. And I don鈥檛 want that to happen.鈥�
For now, Lagerbielke just wants to help Sweden become the king of soccer at the World Cup.
鈥淭o have one of the biggest wins in Swedish history at the World Cup, it鈥檚 amazing,” he said.
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Ethan Wilcox is a student in the University of Georgia鈥檚 Carmical Sports Media Institute.
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Douglas reported from Sundsvall, Sweden.
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