Players from the Swedish Amateur Football Club, Kalmar AIK FK, recently went viral for something they did, and it wasn’t related to a game. It was a video of the team shaving their heads in solidarity with their captain, who is suffering from cancer.
The video, posted on their official Instagram last week, shows the players sitting in a chair one by one and shaving their head with an electric razor. It later shows their 24-year-old captain, Markus Heman, walk in and starts tearing up at his teammates’ gesture.
With around 2 million views, the video also includes staff members who decided to do this to support Heman, who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer prior to the beginning of the 2024-2025 season.
Besides this heartwarming gesture that was loved by netizens, the club decided to host a fundraiser by dedicating a match to him.
Post the fundraiser game, another video went up on Instagram which said, “Last Saturday, we didn’t just play for points, but for our friend and teammate Markus Heman, who’s battling cancer.”
“Thank you to everyone who came out and supported, both in person and from afar. All proceeds from the match went to Markus, and we’re overwhelmed by the love and support pouring in, not just from Kalmar, but from across Sweden and around the world,” it said.
Netizens from all over the world commented their support and respect to the team and Heman, including former Spanish footballer, Gaizka Mendieta. He said, “The power of football. All the best ‘Heman’.”
