Albin Ekdal facts for kids
Ekdal playing for Sweden at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Albin Ekdal | ||
| Date of birth | 28 July 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Stockholm, Sweden | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Djurgårdens IF | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–2006 | IF Brommapojkarna | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2008 | IF Brommapojkarna | 24 | (0) |
| 2008–2010 | Juventus | 3 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | → Siena (loan) | 26 | (1) |
| 2010–2011 | Bologna | 22 | (1) |
| 2011–2015 | Cagliari | 116 | (8) |
| 2015–2018 | Hamburger SV | 54 | (1) |
| 2018–2022 | Sampdoria | 122 | (3) |
| 2022–2023 | Spezia | 40 | (0) |
| 2024– | Djurgårdens IF | 26 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2004–2006 | Sweden U17 | 18 | (5) |
| 2007–2008 | Sweden U19 | 8 | (2) |
| 2008–2010 | Sweden U21 | 12 | (2) |
| 2011–2023 | Sweden | 70 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:59, 27 July 2025 (UTC) | |||
Albin Ekdal (born on July 28, 1989) is a Swedish professional footballer. He plays as a defensive midfielder for the Swedish club Djurgårdens IF. A defensive midfielder helps protect the team's defense and wins the ball back.
Albin Ekdal started his career at IF Brommapojkarna in Sweden. He has played most of his career in Italy, making over 300 appearances in the top league, Serie A. He played for clubs like Cagliari, Juventus, Siena, Bologna, Sampdoria, and Spezia. He also spent three years playing in Germany for Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga.
Albin Ekdal also played for the Swedish national team from 2011 to 2023. He played in 70 international matches. He represented Sweden in big tournaments like UEFA Euro 2016, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2020.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Brommapojkarna
Albin Ekdal began his professional football journey with IF Brommapojkarna in 2007. He mostly played as a central midfielder. Sometimes he also played as an attacking midfielder or on the right side of the midfield.
Moving to Juventus
On May 23, 2008, Ekdal signed a four-year contract with Juventus, a famous club in Italy's top league, Serie A. He made his first appearance for Juventus and in Serie A on October 18, 2008. He came into the game as a substitute.
Loan to Siena
In 2009, Albin Ekdal was loaned to another Italian top-flight club, Siena. A loan means a player temporarily plays for another team. He played 27 games for Siena and scored his first goal on January 9, 2010.
Playing for Bologna
On June 28, 2010, Ekdal moved to Bologna. He played 23 games for the club and scored one goal.
Time at Cagliari
On August 23, 2011, Ekdal joined Cagliari, another team in Serie A. He signed a three-year deal. A big moment for him was on September 28, 2014, when he scored three goals in one game (a hat-trick) as Cagliari won 4–1 against Inter Milan.
Playing in Germany with Hamburger SV
On July 18, 2015, Albin Ekdal moved to Germany to play for Hamburger SV. He signed a four-year contract. He played 57 games for the team. On January 21, 2017, he received his first red card in a match. He scored one goal for the club on March 5, 2017.
Return to Italy with Sampdoria
On August 14, 2018, Ekdal returned to Italy and joined Sampdoria.
Short Spell at Spezia
On July 13, 2022, Ekdal signed a two-year contract with Spezia.
Coming Home to Djurgården
On December 30, 2023, after 16 years playing abroad, Albin Ekdal moved back to Sweden. He joined Djurgårdens IF, which was the club he supported when he was a child.
International Career
Albin Ekdal played his first game for the Swedish national team on August 10, 2011. It was a friendly match against Ukraine. He came on as a substitute in the 60th minute.
He was chosen to be part of Sweden's team for UEFA Euro 2016 in France. He played in every match during the tournament. In June 2018, Ekdal was also selected for Sweden's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He played in all five games as Sweden reached the quarter-finals. He was also part of the squad for UEFA Euro 2020.
Albin Ekdal announced his retirement from international football in 2023. His final game for Sweden was on November 20, 2023, against Estonia in Stockholm. He was the team captain for this match and received a standing ovation when he left the field.
Personal Life
Albin Ekdal grew up in Höglandet, a suburb in Stockholm, Sweden. His father, Lennart Ekdal, is a well-known Swedish journalist and TV personality.
Albin's younger brother, Hjalmar Ekdal, is also a professional footballer. He plays for the Premier League club Burnley and also for the Sweden men's national football team.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Brommapojkarna | 2007 | Allsvenskan | 15 | 0 | – | – | – | 15 | 0 | |||
| 2008 | Superettan | 9 | 0 | – | – | – | 9 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | ||
| Juventus | 2008–09 | Serie A | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 | 0 | |
| 2009–10 | Serie A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11 | Serie A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Siena (loan) | 2009–10 | Serie A | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 27 | 1 | ||
| Bologna | 2010–11 | Serie A | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 23 | 1 | ||
| Cagliari | 2011–12 | Serie A | 30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 31 | 1 | ||
| 2012–13 | Serie A | 31 | 1 | 3 | 0 | – | – | 34 | 1 | |||
| 2013–14 | Serie A | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 23 | 1 | |||
| 2014–15 | Serie A | 33 | 5 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 34 | 5 | |||
| Total | 116 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 122 | 9 | ||
| Hamburger SV | 2015–16 | Bundesliga | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 15 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17 | Bundesliga | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 23 | 1 | |||
| 2017–18 | Bundesliga | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 19 | 0 | |||
| Total | 54 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 1 | ||
| Sampdoria | 2018–19 | Serie A | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 33 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | Serie A | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 33 | 0 | |||
| 2020–21 | Serie A | 32 | 2 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 33 | 2 | |||
| 2021–22 | Serie A | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 27 | 1 | |||
| Total | 122 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 126 | 3 | ||
| Spezia | 2022–23 | Serie A | 31!!0!!2!!1 | – | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 | ||||
| Career total | 376 | 14 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 394 | 15 | ||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 2011 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 70 | 0 | |
Awards and Honors
Albin Ekdal has received several individual awards for his football skills:
- Swedish Midfielder of the Year: 2013, 2014, 2015
- Stor Grabb: 2016
See also
In Spanish: Albin Ekdal para niños
