Natasha Anasi-Erlingsson: A Black player abroad

It’s the 2022 SheBelieves Cup. Natasha Anasi-Erlingsson is playing in the last match of the tournament in Frisco, Texas, about 30 miles from her hometown of Irving. It’s a unique “full circle moment” for her. She’s back in the United States as part of the Iceland women’s national team, playing against the country she used to represent as a U-23. 

How did this happen? It started in 2014, during her senior year of college at Duke University. Anasi-Erlingsson was drafted 13th overall to the Boston Breakers ahead of the second-ever NWSL season. She was supposed to graduate in May. Unfortunately, the Breakers insisted she report for preseason in February and complete her degree at a later date. 

The Duke defender was not willing to put her degree on the back burner, so she began to look abroad for more flexibility. She ultimately signed with Íþróttabandalag Vestmannaeyja and moved to Iceland after graduating.

Anasi-Erlingsson felt some culture shock moving from her hometown in Texas to the “melting pot” of Durham, North Carolina for college. Going from the US to Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland, a small island off the country’s southern coast, was an even bigger adjustment. The terrain was different, the language was different - even the weather was a shock to the southerner.

Most notably, a major point of difference between the United States and Iceland is how European countries like Iceland treat race. From her own experiences, Anasi-Erlingsson observes that she has a “hyper awareness” of her Blackness in the States, whereas in Europe she feels “aware, but maybe not in defense mode in the way that [she is] in the US.” She’s quick to clarify that of course racism unfortunately exists abroad, but on a day-to-day level her Blackness is not scrutinized as in the US. 

While racism unfortunately exists abroad, the lack of support for Black athletes abroad is a more immediate problem. For example, one of Anasi-Erlingsson’s concerns about living in a majority-white country was something most white people would never even have to consider when moving to a new country:

“I was like, ‘I don’t know what I’m gonna do. I don’t know anyone who knows how to deal with my hair.”

Because race is perceived and discussed differently in Europe, microaggressions abound. Anasi-Erlingsson recalls being the victim of implicit bias on the pitch:

“In a practice match, I was the captain of the team. I went to talk to him [the referee], and he immediately just put a wall up. It was very strange. I remember my teammate saying, ‘he hasn’t been like that. Why is he acting like that?’ Of course, our coach said something to him. I think naturally I would rather avoid confrontation, but in that moment, I was like, ‘this is not right. This is not okay.’ We haven’t seen [that referee] again.”

Although there have been moments of prejudice, Anasi-Erlingsson fell in love with Iceland. She went on to play for two other clubs there in the span of eight years. This extended residency made her eligible for Icelandic citizenship, which she obtained in late 2019. She received her first call-up to the Iceland national team in February 2020. The defender says her decision to join Iceland was a natural extension of the life she’d built there: “[t]here was something about it that felt so right.”

Everything seemed to align for Anasi-Erlingsson as she chose Iceland. She connected with Iceland teammate Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir, whose mother is from Ghana and was happy to do Anasi-Erlingsson’s hair. 

While furthering her soccer career in the country, Anasi-Erlingsson married Icelandic women’s basketball coach Rúnar Ingi Erlingsson and became a mother to her daughter Harper and stepson Óliver.

Anasi-Erlingsson and family

Anasi-Erlingsson says she’s had new opportunities to reflect on her Blackness through raising Harper: “I had a job to teach her, being born and raised in a country that’s predominantly white, that her hair is beautiful. I’ve learned so much [from her.]”

While her husband and his family had an obvious learning curve to understanding how to best support Natasha and Harper, Anasi-Erlingsson observes that “[t]hey’re learning a lot. It’s interesting seeing how they’re taking everything and learning and dealing with issues.” 

One of the most common issues she’s had to address, whether it be from family or friends, has been setting boundaries regarding Harper’s hair. “People don’t have to pat her hair. She has control of that. And she can say, ‘hey, I feel uncomfortable.”

Mother and daughter

Despite the challenging moments, Anasi-Erlingsson says her favorite thing about living abroad is getting to experience different cultures. She decided to make the move from Iceland to Norway, joining Norwegian club SK Brann in 2022.

The move to Norway seemed to be going well, but the feeling was short-lived. She tore her Achilles tendon shortly after signing.

“It came at the worst time. It’s never easy to be long-term injured. I was wondering why I moved away from my family and [going] back and forth [from Norway to Iceland.] I had to continue on to this professional dream that I wanted.”

Anasi-Erlingsson after her Achilles surgery

After a difficult recovery process, Anasi-Erlingsson made her way back to the pitch almost a year later. Her hard work paid off. “I feel like a new player again. It’s made me excited.”

As of late, she’s had plenty to be excited about. SK Brann became the first Norwegian women’s team to ever qualify for the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Anasi-Erlingsson would score the game winning goal in their first-ever group stage match against St Pölten on November 14, 2023. 

No matter where she is, Anasi-Erlingsson has learned to adapt to different cultures without sacrificing her own identity. Growing up in Texas, she said the only player she had to look up to as a young Black women’s soccer player was former US goalkeeper Briana Scurry. As the sport becomes more diverse worldwide, Natasha Anasi-Erlingsson is quickly becoming one of many great role models for the next generation of Black players. After all, she says, “you need idols to look like you.”

Harper supporting her mother in the stands