Rising Stars: Swedish Teen Athletes with Famous Parents
List: Eleven talented Swedish teenagers with well-known parents – some may choose to represent countries other than Sweden at the national level.
William McGee
Son of Annika Sörenstam, golf legend
Age: 14
Sport: Golf
Comment: "Annika's son" – that's the entirety of William McGee's bio on Instagram. Will seems to be following in his mother's footsteps on the golf course. So far, the young talent has shown promising play and great passion for the sport.
For the past three years, mother and son have competed together in the PNC Championship, where tour players of all ages and stages in their careers can compete with a family member. Before their debut in 2022, Annika Sörenstam shared that participating was a dream come true for her son. After their 2023 performance, young Will charmed the entire golf world. In a TV interview with CBS Sports, he tearfully stated:
– It's the best week of the year – and of my life.
This was after making a hole in one during practice and sinking an eagle putt from 13 meters.
Annika and William haven't been in contention for the lead during their appearances. For the past two years, they've finished in eleventh place. Yet, William has still impressed greatly.
Like his mother Annika, William Sörenstam holds both American and Swedish citizenship. So, which country he chooses to represent in a professional career remains unclear. In an interview with Aftonbladet, Annika Sörenstam was asked if her son could join the Swedish Golf Federation in the future – possibly alongside another star's son. She responded:
– I don't know if Charlie has a Swedish passport. William does, but is it accepted? I don't know the rules. But absolutely, you never know! If they could represent Sweden in some kind of world championship, then it should be possible.
The Charlie in question is Woods by surname…
Charlie Woods
Son of Elin Nordegren and Tiger Woods
Age: 16
Sport: Golf
Comment: Yes, with a Swedish mother, Tiger Woods' son Charlie also qualifies for this list! Although it's most likely that the U.S. flag will appear next to his name in future golf tournaments.
Like Will McGee, Charlie Woods has shown his extreme talent in the PNC Championship in recent years. Last year, he and his father Tiger were in contention until the end – thanks in part to a hole in one by Charlie during the final round.
– It was one of the most fun things I've ever done. Plus, I made a hole in one. I don't think I can top that. It was amazing, Charlie told the PGA Tour's website.
In the end, they finished in second place in the tournament – the same position the duo achieved in 2021. Will the first victory come later this year?
Vincent and Maximilian Ibrahimovic
Sons of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, football star
Age: 18 and 17
Sport: Football
Comment: There are many talents with famous parents, but none with a father as well-known as Zlatan Ibrahimovic. And now that both sons Vincent and Maximilian have chosen to follow in their father's footsteps, many are watching their progress.
– They are under too much pressure because of me. And it's not fair, said Zlatan Ibrahimovic in an interview with Expressen last year.
Choosing football was far from certain. In the same interview, Zlatan recounted when he tried to introduce them to the sport:
– One of them lay down behind the goal, cried, and just wanted to go home. The other wandered around the field, looking up at the sky and counting birds. So no, it wasn't a good start.
Maximilian also shared how much he initially disliked his father's sport:
– I hated football until I was eleven and thought it was the worst thing ever. Everything was wrong, I was always compared to my dad, so it just went wrong.
But their feelings changed, and now both sons play at different levels within AC Milan's academy. Both have also donned the blue and yellow national team jersey. Maximilian debuted in the U18 national team last fall, and Vincent scored his first national team goal last year when the U16 team faced Belgium in a four-nation tournament.
Valter Sedin
Son of Henrik Sedin, hockey star
Age: 18
Sport: Football
Comment: Here's another on the list with dual citizenship. Valter Sedin has lived his entire life in Canada until recently and will have the opportunity to choose which national team to represent if it becomes relevant. Which it absolutely can. He has already been selected for several Swedish national team camps at the youth level.
Valter made his professional debut at 17 in the MLS club Vancouver Whitecaps' second team, in the MLS Next Pro league. Earlier this year, he moved to Sweden, where the midfielder now represents Hammarby's U19 team.
The move was revealed by his father Henrik Sedin when he appeared on Viaplay's program Godmorgon NHL.
– That's why I'm home. He's moving home now to play football in Sweden. For three years, most likely. It's incredibly fun, said the hockey profile.
That it became football and not hockey for the son is no big surprise. Henrik Sedin himself played a lot of football as a youth and even tried out with Djurgården before fully committing to hockey.
Nova Huselius
Daughter of Kristian Huselius, hockey star
Age: 18
Sport: Handball
Comment: The former NHL star's daughter has started a promising sports career, but also in a different sport than her father. Nova Huselius is one of the handball giant Sävehof's great talents, where she plays as a center back. Her game understanding, technique, and shooting are highlighted as her greatest strengths.
In 2024, she secured the Swedish Championship gold in the U18 class for the Partille club with a penalty goal in the last second against Önnered.
Earlier this year, she debuted in the A-team and the Handball League.
Nova Huselius has also impressed in the blue and yellow jersey. At the U18 World Cup last year, she was one of the national team's biggest stars. In the premiere against Chile, she was the team's top scorer with seven goals.
Older sister Stella is also a great handball talent who also plays for Sävehof, but since we set the age limit at the end of the teenage years on this list, 20-year-old Stella is too old.
Hjalmar Fredricson
Son of equestrian stars Peder Fredricson and Lisen Bratt Fredricson
Age: 18
Sport: Football
Comment: With two parents at the highest level in equestrian sports, the stable door was wide open for another successful Fredricson on horseback. But that didn't happen. Hjalmar Fredricson instead pursued a football career – and so far, it seems to have been a good decision.
The talent, who has played both center back and midfielder, debuted in Ettan at the age of 14 for Österlens FF.
– Remember this name. This guy will go far, said coach Agim Sopi to Ystads Allehanda after the talent's first appearance.
After Österlen, he spent a couple of years in Trelleborg's youth team, where he debuted in the Superettan in 2024 as a 17-year-old. At the turn of the year, he joined Djurgården's academy, where he now plays in the club's U19 team.
Love Härenstam
Son of Chris Härenstam, SVT profile
Age: 18
Sport: Ice Hockey
Comment: Chris Härenstam's voice is closely associated with junior hockey broadcasts on SVT. But in recent years, he has refrained from jobs like TV-pucken and the U18 World Cup. The reason? His son Love has been involved as a player.
The talented goalkeeper began his career in his hometown club Värmdö before moving on to Djurgården's youth team. Then he headed north. First to Luleå's hockey gymnasium. There, he made a name for himself in Luleå's junior team and succeeded when he won the TV-pucken with Norrbotten in the fall of 2022. The competitive situation in Luleå, with junior national team colleague Isak Sörqvist, led him to move to Skellefteå last season. There, he trained with the A-team directly. Although he didn't make any appearances in the SHL, he debuted with three games between the posts in the CHL, two of which ended in victory.
Next season awaits a new challenge. In April, it was announced that he would join Södertälje's A-team, where he will form a goalkeeper duo with Oliver Håkanson in the HockeyAllsvenskan.
– Love has a strong work ethic and desire, as well as the potential to develop into a future top goalkeeper, says the club's goalkeeper coach Calle Brattenberger about the signing in a press release.
Herman Liv
Son of Stefan Liv, hockey goalkeeper
Age: 18
Sport: Ice Hockey
Comment: Here's someone who truly follows in his father's footsteps. Herman Liv not only became a hockey player like his father Stefan but also a goalkeeper. His hometown club is HV71, where Stefan Liv became an icon, but for the past four seasons, Herman has represented Örebro's youth and junior teams. He hasn't yet had any playing time in the SHL, but next season he is loaned to the HockeyAllsvenskan team Almtuna to take the step into senior hockey.
– We are pleased to welcome Herman to Almtuna for the upcoming season. He is a goalkeeper with great potential and a player with high work ethic and the right attitude to develop. This aligns with the type of character and player type we seek in Almtuna, says Almtuna's sports director Nicklas Danielsson about the signing.
Herman Liv himself looks forward to the new challenge.
– It's going to be super fun, I feel extremely excited. I think it will be very educational for me, he says in an interview with his new club.
John Mellberg
Son of Olof Mellberg, football star
Age: 18
Sport: Football
Comment: The BP-trained center back has had a flying start to his career. In the summer of 2023, he signed with the Austrian giant club Red Bull Salzburg. Initially, he was loaned to FC Liefering, where he made his senior debut two days before his 17th birthday. Back in Salzburg, he has made several appearances this past season, including his Champions League debut.
Successes at the club level have also given him opportunities in the national team context. After playing in several of Sweden's youth national teams, he was called up to the U21 earlier this year. At a camp in late May, he trained with the A-national team for the first time, and for the friendly match against Hungary on National Day, he was selected for the Swedish A-national team squad by head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson. However, he didn't get any playing time that time.
Comparisons with his father Olof Mellberg are inevitable since John plays in the same position and is soon likely to get the chance to make his first appearance for the national team that Olof previously captained. Here's what John himself said about the similarities in an interview with Expressen recently:
– We are both focused, like to defend, strong in the air, fast. I am his son, so there should be similarities.
Nellie Taraba Wallberg
Daughter of Frida Wallberg, boxer
Age: 18
Sport: Tennis
Comment: At six years old, Nellie Taraba Wallberg saw her mother Frida Wallberg get knocked out in the boxing ring and have her life changed forever. Taking up her sport was never an option – but she had already found tennis. She started playing tennis to alleviate her juvenile arthritis. When the disease disappeared, she just kept playing. And it's a good thing she did.
Her WTA debut came at 16 when she won her opening match in Båstad two years ago. Earlier this year, she became the first Swedish girl to win a J500 title when she took home the tournament in Cairo. And at the beginning of the summer, she also achieved her first victories in a junior Grand Slam, reaching the third round of the French Open.
Today, she is Sweden's highest-ranked junior (22nd on the ITF junior ranking in singles) and is on her way to stepping into senior tennis.
– I am really so ready. I feel like I'm done with juniors. It's just going to be so much fun. It's the real tennis, you know. So now I'll start from scratch again and just build up, says Nellie Taraba Wallberg in an interview with Expressen.