All Together Now

A Group A interview with the Bayern Munich defender ahead of her third tournament and Norway’s first under Hege Riise. Hansen describes a new emphasis on defensive compactness and a team mantra of ‘one plus one is three’, and argues that a squad long weighed down by talk of medals needs to be more realistic after the EURO 2022 group exit, focusing instead on getting out of the group. She recalls the long-range strike against Belgium that sealed qualification, her first international goal and one that surprised everyone including herself, and discusses club teammate Georgia Stanway’s tackling and Cumbrian accent. Sidebars cover her balloon-themed initiation song and her cockapoo Vilja’s million TikTok followers.