Assyrians and Syriacs in Sweden. Could Soccer Solve the Quest for Belonging? Since 1967 Assyrians and Syriacs has immigrated to Sweden from countries in the Middle East. The integration of them into the Swedish society has often been presented as a success story (Pripp, 1994). The most obvious example is probably the outstanding performance by the two soccer teams Assyriska FF and Syrianska FC. Both teams have been able to make it all the way to the highest national division, Allsvenskan (Ackfeldt & Andersson, 2012). In this paper I am elaborating on the significance of soccer for belonging in both the “old” society and in the Swedish society. Now, this paper is written in the shadow of the present terrible situation in Syria. There are new immigration flows from the Middle East to Europe, not least to Sweden. During 2007 the city of Södertälje, south of Stockholm, received more Iraqi refugees then the whole of North America! Every month at the moment 1500 individuals from Syria is applying for asylum in Sweden and for obvious reasons almost 100% of them is guaranteed a permit to stay. Sweden is the country in Europe that receives most asylum seekers, which is quite understandable. There is and have been strong relations between relatives living in Sweden (Södertälje) and in the Middle East. A uniting force between those who decided to leave and those who decided to stay has been Assyriska FF and Syrianska FC. Their games have been broadcasted by satellite TV and followed by Assyrians and Syriacs all over the world. My intention in this paper is to show the role soccer has had and have for immigrants in Sweden, being trapped between on the one hand the demands from the “old” belonging and the demands from the “new” belonging. Ethnic soccer teams have played a significant role for facilitating this duality of demands (Deniz & Perdikaris, 2000). But it is also an aim of this paper to focus on the role soccer has played for transnational networks, bringing together individuals, families and groups in diaspora situations in Sweden with relatives in the Middle East end elsewhere. By following conversations on the internet and by carrying out interviews with immigrants in Sweden, both “old” ones and “new” ones, I have managed to get a better understanding of the role of soccer for solving the quest for belonging.