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Emil Forsberg
Personal information
Forsberg with the New York Red Bulls in 2025
Full name	Emil Peter Forsberg
Date of birth	(1991-10-23) 23 October 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth	Sundsvall, Sweden
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team	New York Red Bulls
Number	10
Youth career
0000–2008	GIF Sundsvall
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2009–2012	GIF Sundsvall	97	(24)
2009	→ Medskogsbrons BK (loan)	3	(2)
2013–2015	Malmö FF	57	(19)
2015–2023	RB Leipzig	243	(48)
2024–	New York Red Bulls	43	(18)
International career^‡
2009–2010	Sweden U19	8	(0)
2014–	Sweden	90	(21)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 03:17, 27 July 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:24, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

Emil Peter Forsberg (born 23 October 1991) is a Swedish professional football player. He plays as an attacking midfielder for the Major League Soccer team New York Red Bulls. He also plays for the Sweden national team.

In 2021, Forsberg won the Guldbollen award. This award is given to Sweden's best male footballer of the year. He was also named the Swedish Midfielder of the Year four times. These awards were in 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2021. He was part of the Swedish team that reached the quarter-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He also played for his country in UEFA Euro 2016 and 2020. In Euro 2020, he scored four goals in four games. Forsberg is known for his quick and effective passes. He is a creative player who makes many chances for his teammates to score.

Playing for Clubs
Playing for Sweden
About His Life
Career Statistics
- Club
- International
Awards and Honours
See also

Playing for Clubs

Starting at GIF Sundsvall

Forsberg playing for GIF Sundsvall in 2011.

Emil Forsberg was born in Sundsvall, Sweden. He started his football journey with his hometown team, GIF Sundsvall. In 2009, he joined the first team. At that time, the club played in Sweden's second-highest football league, called Superettan. He played in many matches during his first season.

By his second season, Forsberg was a regular player. He played in all 30 matches of the 2010 season. He started scoring goals in his second year. In the 2011 season, he scored 11 goals in 27 matches. This helped Sundsvall get promoted to Allsvenskan, Sweden's top football league. In his first season in Allsvenskan, Forsberg played 21 matches and scored 6 goals. However, Sundsvall went back down to Superettan after losing their play-off games.

Moving to Malmö FF

On December 10, 2012, Forsberg joined Malmö FF. He officially became a player for them on January 1, 2013. He signed a four-year contract. His first season with Malmö was very successful. He played in 28 matches and scored five goals. His team won the league title that year.

He also played in all the qualification matches for the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League. He scored two goals in those games. In the 2014 season, Forsberg played in 29 league games. He scored 14 goals, which was a big help for his team. Malmö FF won the league title again that year. He also played in all their matches for the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League. Malmö FF made it to the group stage of this big European competition. Because of his great performance, Forsberg won the award for Allsvenskan Midfielder of the Year.

Time at RB Leipzig

Forsberg preparing to take a penalty kick for RB Leipzig.

In January 2015, Forsberg moved to Germany. He joined RB Leipzig, a team in Germany's second league, 2. Bundesliga. He signed a contract for three and a half years. In February 2016, he extended his contract until 2021. During the 2015–16 season, Forsberg was voted the best player in the 2. Bundesliga.

In the 2016–17 season, Forsberg was named player of the round by Kicker magazine. He ended the season as the player with the most assists in the Bundesliga. He had 22 assists, which was also one of the highest in Europe's top five leagues. He was also chosen for the Bundesliga team of the season. On September 13, 2017, Forsberg scored RB Leipzig's first ever Champions League goal. This happened in their first Champions League match, a 1–1 draw against Monaco.

In the 2019–20 season, he scored two goals late in the game against Benfica. This helped RB Leipzig secure a spot in the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League knockout phase. They reached the semi-finals but lost to Paris Saint-Germain. On November 4, 2020, Forsberg scored the winning goal against Paris Saint-Germain in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League. This was his club's first win against them. On February 24, 2022, he scored a penalty in the 89th minute. This secured a 3–1 win over Real Sociedad in the Europa League. This goal was the 1000th goal in RB Leipzig's history.

On December 16, 2023, Forsberg played his final home match for Leipzig. He came off the bench and scored the winning goal. He also helped set up another goal in a 3–1 win over Hoffenheim. Fans showed their appreciation with banners for their leaving player. He played his last game for the club three days later. It was a 1–1 draw with Werder Bremen. He was the team captain and assisted Loïs Openda's goal.

Joining New York Red Bulls

On December 16, 2023, the Major League Soccer team New York Red Bulls announced that Forsberg would join them in 2024. He signed a contract until 2026, with an option for another year. On February 25, 2024, Forsberg played his first game for New York. He started in the season's opening match, which was a 0–0 draw against Nashville SC.

On March 9, 2024, Forsberg scored his first goal for New York. He also assisted another goal in a 2–1 win over FC Dallas. On May 29, 2024, Forsberg scored two goals for New York. This helped them win 3–1 against Charlotte FC.

Playing for Sweden

Early International Games

Forsberg playing for Sweden in 2015.

Emil Forsberg played for the Sweden under-19 team before. He made his first appearance for the senior Sweden national team on January 17, 2014. This was in a 2–1 friendly win against Moldova.

UEFA Euro 2016

He played his first competitive game in a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier. This was against Liechtenstein on October 12, 2014. He scored his first goal for Sweden in the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying play-offs. This goal was against Denmark. It helped Sweden win 4–3 overall and qualify for Euro 2016. Forsberg played in all three games for Sweden at Euro 2016. Sweden was eliminated in the group stage.

2018 FIFA World Cup

In May 2018, he was chosen for Sweden's 23-player squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. On July 3, 2018, in a round of 16 match between Sweden and Switzerland, Forsberg scored the winning goal. This sent Sweden into the World Cup quarter-finals. It was the first time in almost 25 years that Sweden reached this stage.

UEFA Euro 2020

Forsberg was part of Sweden's 26-player squad for UEFA Euro 2020. He scored four goals in the tournament. He also hit the crossbar and the post in the Round of 16 game against Ukraine. Sweden lost that game 2–1 after extra time. Forsberg received praise for being one of the best players in the tournament. He is the only Swedish player to score four goals in a UEFA European Championship. He broke the previous record of three goals.

About His Life

Emil Forsberg comes from a family of footballers. His father, Leif Forsberg, also played for GIF Sundsvall. His grandfather, Lennart Forsberg, also played for the same club. On July 17, 2016, Forsberg married Shanga Hussain, who used to be a footballer too. They live in Leipzig, Germany. They first met in Sundsvall. They have a dog named Roffe, who is a golden retriever. They had their first child in August 2018. Forsberg has said that Dutch winger Ryan Babel was a player he admired.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
GIF Sundsvall	2009	Superettan	19	1	1	0	—		—		20	1
	2010	Superettan	30	6	2	0	—		2	0	34	6
	2011	Superettan	27	11	2	3	—		—		29	14
	2012	Allsvenskan	21	6	1	0	—		1	0	23	6
	Total		97	24	6	3	—		3	0	106	27
Medskogsbrons BK (loan)	2009	Division 3 Mellersta Norrland	3	2	0	0	—		—		3	2
Malmö FF	2013	Allsvenskan	28	5	4	0	6	2	1	2	39	9
	2014	Allsvenskan	29	14	5	2	12	2	1	1	47	19
	Total		57	19	9	2	18	4	2	3	86	28
RB Leipzig	2014–15	2. Bundesliga	14	0	1	0	—		—		15	0
	2015–16	2. Bundesliga	32	8	1	0	—		—		33	8
	2016–17	Bundesliga	30	8	1	0	—		—		31	8
	2017–18	Bundesliga	21	2	1	1	11	2	—		33	5
	2018–19	Bundesliga	20	4	4	2	5	1	—		29	7
	2019–20	Bundesliga	22	5	1	1	9	4	—		32	10
	2020–21	Bundesliga	29	7	5	1	7	1	—		41	9
	2021–22	Bundesliga	31	6	5	1	10	4	—		46	11
	2022–23	Bundesliga	30	6	4	2	8	1	1	0	43	9
	2023–24	Bundesliga	14	2	1	1	6	1	1	0	22	4
	Total		243	48	24	9	56	14	2	0	325	71
New York Red Bulls	2024	Major League Soccer	19	9	—		—		5	1	24	10
	2025	Major League Soccer	24	9	2	1	—		0	0	26	10
	Total		43	18	2	1	—		5	1	50	20
Career total			443	111	41	15	74	18	12	4	570	148

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Sweden	2014	5	0
	2015	8	1
	2016	11	2
	2017	9	3
	2018	9	1
	2019	7	1
	2020	5	0
	2021	14	7
	2022	10	4
	2023	8	2
	2024	4	0
Total		90	21

Scores and results list Sweden's goal tally first

List of international goals scored by Emil Forsberg
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	14 November 2015	Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden	Denmark	1–0	2–1	UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
2.	5 June 2016	Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden	Wales	1–0	3–0	Friendly
3.	11 November 2016	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	France	1–0	1–2	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
4.	25 March 2017	Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden	Belarus	1–0	4–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
5.	25 March 2017	Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden	Belarus	2–0	4–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
6.	3 September 2017	Borisov Arena, Barysaw, Belarus	Belarus	1–0	4–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
7.	3 July 2018	Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia	Switzerland	1–0	1–0	2018 FIFA World Cup
8.	8 September 2019	Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden	Norway	1–1	1–1	UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
9.	5 June 2021	Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden	Armenia	1–0	3–1	Friendly
10.	18 June 2021	Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia	Slovakia	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 2020
11.	23 June 2021	Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia	Poland	1–0	3–2	UEFA Euro 2020
12.	23 June 2021	Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia	Poland	2–0	3–2	UEFA Euro 2020
13.	29 June 2021	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	Ukraine	1–1	1–2 (aet)	UEFA Euro 2020
14.	9 October 2021	Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden	Kosovo	1–0	3–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
15.	12 October 2021	Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden	Greece	1–0	2–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
16.	2 June 2022	Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia	Slovenia	1–0	2–0	2022–23 UEFA Nations League B
17.	12 June 2022	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway	Norway	1–2	2–3	2022–23 UEFA Nations League B
18.	27 September 2022	Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden	Slovenia	1–1	1–1	2022–23 UEFA Nations League B
19.	19 November 2022	Stadion, Malmö, Sweden	Algeria	1–0	2–0	Friendly
20.	27 March 2023	Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden	Azerbaijan	1–0	5–0	UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
21.	19 November 2023	Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden	Estonia	2–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying