Alexander Isak facts for kids
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Isak with Sweden in 2019
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alexander Isak | ||
| Date of birth | 21 September 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | Solna, Sweden | ||
| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Newcastle United | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2015 | AIK | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016 | AIK | 24 | (10) |
| 2017–2019 | Borussia Dortmund II | 12 | (5) |
| 2017–2019 | Borussia Dortmund | 5 | (0) |
| 2019 | → Willem II (loan) | 16 | (13) |
| 2019–2022 | Real Sociedad | 105 | (33) |
| 2022– | Newcastle United | 86 | (54) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2015–2016 | Sweden U17 | 19 | (6) |
| 2016–2017 | Sweden U19 | 6 | (2) |
| 2016–2018 | Sweden U21 | 7 | (0) |
| 2017– | Sweden | 52 | (16) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:51, 25 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:22, 25 March 2025 (UTC) |
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Alexander Isak (born September 21, 1999) is a talented Swedish footballer. He plays as a striker for the Premier League club Newcastle United. He also plays for the Sweden national team.
Isak grew up in Solna, Sweden. He began his professional journey with his childhood club AIK in 2016. Later, he played for Borussia Dortmund and Willem II. In 2019, he joined Real Sociedad. In 2022, he moved to Newcastle United for a club record fee.
He has played over 50 games for Sweden since 2017. He also represented his country at UEFA Euro 2020. Alexander Isak holds the record as the youngest goalscorer for both AIK and the Swedish national team.
Contents
Early Life and Football Start
Alexander Isak was born on September 21, 1999. His parents are from Eritrea. He grew up in Solna Municipality, near Stockholm County. At age six, he started playing football for the youth team of AIK. This was a big club in his area, and it was the team he supported.
Club Career Highlights
Starting Strong at AIK
Isak made his first team debut for AIK on February 28, 2016. He came on as a substitute in a Swedish Cup match. He was only 16 years old when he scored a goal in AIK's 6–0 win.
On April 7, 2016, Isak started his first Allsvenskan league game. He scored the second goal in a 2–0 victory. This made him the youngest goalscorer in AIK's Allsvenskan history. He was 16 years and 199 days old.
He scored his first goal at AIK's home stadium, Friends Arena, on April 25. He helped his team win 2–1 against IF Elfsborg.
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On May 3, 2016, Isak signed his first professional contract. He had impressed everyone with his early games. On his 17th birthday, September 21, 2016, he scored two important goals. This was in a 3–0 win against their rivals Djurgårdens IF. His teammate Chinedu Obasi even called him "Sweden's new Zlatan Ibrahimović".
Time at Borussia Dortmund
On January 23, 2017, Isak joined the German club Borussia Dortmund. He signed a long-term contract until 2022. Reports said the transfer fee was about €9 million. This was the highest fee ever paid for a player from the Swedish Allsvenskan league at that time. Isak had reportedly turned down Real Madrid before joining Dortmund.
He played his first game for Dortmund on March 14, 2017. It was a 3–0 cup win. Isak won his first medal with the club when Dortmund won the 2016–17 DFB-Pokal. He scored his first goal for Dortmund on October 24, 2017. It was in a 5–0 cup win against 1. FC Magdeburg.
Loan to Willem II
In 2019, Isak was loaned to the Dutch club Willem II. On February 28, 2019, he scored a goal and the winning penalty in a cup semi-final. This helped Willem II reach the Dutch cup final for the first time since 2005. On March 30, 2019, he made history by scoring three penalties in one league game. This was in a 3–2 win. By April 14, 2019, Isak had scored 12 goals in his first 12 league games. This was a record for a foreign-born player in the Dutch league.
Success with Real Sociedad
On June 12, 2019, Isak signed a five-year deal with Real Sociedad in Spain. He scored in his very first game for the club. He continued to score four goals in five pre-season games. On September 22, 2019, he scored his first official goal for Real Sociedad. This was in a 3–1 league win. On February 6, 2020, Isak scored two goals and assisted another in a cup quarter-final against Real Madrid.
On April 3, 2021, Isak won his first trophy with Real Sociedad. He played in the 2020 Copa del Rey Final. His team won 1–0, helping them lift the 2019–20 Copa del Rey.
He scored his first hat-trick for the club on February 21, 2021. This was in a 4–0 league win. He became the first Swedish player to score a hat-trick in the Spanish league since 1949.
Joining Newcastle United
Record Transfer and First Season
On August 26, 2022, Isak joined Premier League club Newcastle United. He signed a six-year contract. The transfer fee was reported to be around £63 million, a record for the club. On August 31, he scored a goal in his first game against Liverpool. He was named man of the match.
After a hamstring injury, Isak returned to play in January 2023. He scored his first goal after the injury on January 15. This was in a 1–0 win against Fulham. On March 17, he scored two goals for Newcastle in a 2–1 win. On April 23, he scored another two goals in a 6–1 win. His manager, Eddie Howe, even compared him to the legendary player Thierry Henry.
Continued Success (2023-2025)
On August 12, 2023, Isak scored two goals in a 5–1 win against Aston Villa. This was the first match of the season. On September 27, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Manchester City in the EFL Cup. This was Newcastle's first win against Manchester City in 11 games.
On April 14, 2024, Isak scored his 16th and 17th goals of the season. Newcastle beat Tottenham 4–0. He then broke the record for most goals by a Swede in a Premier League season. He scored two goals in a 5–1 win against Sheffield United on April 28. He finished his second season as Newcastle's top scorer with 21 league goals.
On December 21, 2024, Isak scored his first hat-trick for Newcastle. This was in a 4–0 win against Ipswich Town. His first goal was scored in just 25.95 seconds. This was the fastest away goal for Newcastle in the Premier League.
On January 10, 2025, Isak was named the Premier League Player of the Month for December. He scored eight goals and made two assists that month. He also scored in six games in a row. He was also given the Premier League Goal of the Month award for a goal against Liverpool. On February 23, he scored his 50th Premier League goal. He scored two goals in a 4–3 win against Nottingham Forest. A month later, on March 16, he scored in a 2–1 win against Liverpool in the EFL Cup final. This helped Newcastle win their first major trophy since 1955.
On June 20, 2025, Isak was nominated for the PFA Players' Player of the Year award.
International Career
Isak played for Sweden's youth national teams from U-16 to U-21. He was called up to the Sweden national team in January 2017. He made his debut against Ivory Coast. In his second game, against Slovakia, he scored his first goal. This made him the youngest goalscorer ever for the Sweden national team.
On March 23, 2019, Isak played his first competitive game for Sweden. This was in a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying match. He scored his first competitive goal for Sweden on June 7, 2019. Sweden beat Malta 3–0 in a Euro 2020 qualifying game.
Isak was chosen for a major tournament for the first time when he joined Sweden's squad for UEFA Euro 2020.
How Alexander Isak Plays
Alexander Isak is known as a "modern striker." He is tall (6'4") which helps him in the air. But he is also very fast and skilled with the ball. This allows him to move well in tight spaces and get past defenders.
He is calm when he has a chance to score, using both feet well. He is also good at linking up with teammates and passing the ball. This helps other players join the attack. Isak is smart about where he positions himself on the field. This makes it hard for defenders to mark him. It also creates space for himself and his teammates. When he doesn't have the ball, Isak works hard to defend. He can play as a single striker, a left winger, or in a two-man attack. He uses his strength to hold the ball or his speed to find gaps in the defense.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| AIK | 2016 | Allsvenskan | 24 | 10 | 2 | 3 | — | 3 | 0 | — | 29 | 13 | ||
| Borussia Dortmund II | 2016–17 | Regionalliga West | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2018–19 | Regionalliga West | 11 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 11 | 5 | |||||
| Total | 12 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 5 | ||||||
| Borussia Dortmund | 2016–17 | Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2017–18 | Bundesliga | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | ||
| Total | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | |||
| Willem II (loan) | 2018–19 | Eredivisie | 16 | 13 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 18 | 14 | |||
| Real Sociedad | 2019–20 | La Liga | 37 | 9 | 8 | 7 | — | — | — | 45 | 16 | |||
| 2020–21 | La Liga | 34 | 17 | 1 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 17 | ||
| 2021–22 | La Liga | 32 | 6 | 3 | 1 | — | 6 | 3 | — | 41 | 10 | |||
| 2022–23 | La Liga | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 105 | 33 | 12 | 8 | — | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 132 | 44 | |||
| Newcastle United | 2022–23 | Premier League | 22 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 10 | ||
| 2023–24 | Premier League | 30 | 21 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | 40 | 25 | ||
| 2024–25 | Premier League | 34 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 3 | — | — | 42 | 27 | |||
| Total | 86 | 54 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 1 | — | 109 | 62 | |||
| Career total | 248 | 115 | 27 | 16 | 11 | 4 | 27 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 312 | 139 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 2017 | 2 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 10 | 3 | |
| 2020 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 14 | 4 | |
| 2022 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 8 | 5 | |
| 2025 | 2 | 1 | |
| Total | 52 | 16 | |
- Scores and results list Sweden's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 January 2017 | Armed Forces Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |  Slovakia |
1–0 | 6–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 7 June 2019 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden |  Malta |
3–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 3 | 5 September 2019 | Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands |  Faroe Islands |
1–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 4 | 2–0 | |||||
| 5 | 8 October 2020 | VEB Arena, Moscow, Russia |  Russia |
1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 6 | 28 March 2021 | Fadil Vokrri Stadium, Pristina, Kosovo |  Kosovo |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 2 September 2021 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden |  Spain |
1–1 | 2–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 9 October 2021 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden | Kosovo |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 9 | 12 October 2021 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden |  Greece |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 9 September 2023 | Lilleküla Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia |  Estonia |
3–0 | 5–0 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
| 11 | 5 June 2024 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Denmark |
1–1 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 12 | 5 September 2024 | Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan |  Azerbaijan |
1–0 | 3–1 | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League C |
| 13 | 2–0 | |||||
| 14 | 8 September 2024 | Strawberry Arena, Solna, Sweden | Estonia |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League C |
| 15 | 16 November 2024 | Strawberry Arena, Solna, Sweden | Slovakia |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League C |
| 16 | 25 March 2025 | Strawberry Arena, Solna, Sweden |  Northern Ireland |
4–0 | 5–1 | Friendly |
Honours and Awards
Borussia Dortmund
- DFB-Pokal: 2016–17 (German Cup winner)
Willem II
- KNVB Cup: runner-up 2018–19 (Dutch Cup finalist)
Real Sociedad
- Copa del Rey: 2019–20 (Spanish Cup winner)
Newcastle United
- EFL Cup: 2024–25 (English League Cup winner); runner-up: 2022–23
Individual Awards
- Allsvenskan Newcomer of the Year: 2016
- Allsvenskan Player of the Month: September 2016
- Copa del Rey top scorer: 2019–20
- Eredivisie Talent of the Month: March 2019
- Swedish Forward of the Year: 2021
- Premier League Player of the Month: December 2024
- Premier League Goal of the Month: December 2024
- Premier League Most Powerful Goal: 2024–25
- Premier League Fan Team of the Season: 2024–25
- The Athletic Premier League Team of the Season: 2024–25
See also
In Spanish: Alexander Isak para niños
