Emil Forsberg facts for kids

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Emil Forsberg
Personal information
Forsberg with Sweden at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Date of birth	(1991-10-23) 23 October 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth	Sundsvall, Sweden
Height	1.77 m
Playing position	Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current club	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	19	(9)
National team^‡
2009–2010	Sweden U19	8	(0)
2014–	Sweden	90	(21)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 03:27, 20 October 2024 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ 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 footballer. He plays as an attacking midfielder for the Major League Soccer team New York Red Bulls. He also plays for the Sweden national team.

Emil Forsberg is known for his quick and effective passes. He is a creative player who helps set up goals for his team. In 2021, he won the Guldbollen award, which means he was named Sweden's best footballer of the year. He has also been voted the Swedish Midfielder of the Year four times. He played for Sweden in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the quarter-finals. He also played in UEFA Euro 2016 and UEFA Euro 2020, scoring four goals in the 2020 tournament.

Club Career Highlights
International Career for Sweden
About Emil Forsberg's Life
Career Statistics
- Club Appearances and Goals
- International Appearances and Goals
Football Achievements
See also

Club Career Highlights

Starting at GIF Sundsvall

Emil Forsberg playing for GIF Sundsvall in 2011.

Emil Forsberg was born in Sundsvall, Sweden. He began his football journey with his hometown team, GIF Sundsvall. In 2009, he joined the first team. At that time, the club was playing in Sweden's second football league, called Superettan.

In his first season, Emil played in several matches. By his second season in 2010, he became a regular starter. He played in all 30 matches for the club that year. In 2011, he really stepped up his game. He scored 11 goals in 27 matches. This helped Sundsvall get promoted to Allsvenskan, Sweden's top football league. In 2012, his first season in Allsvenskan, he scored 6 goals in 21 matches. However, Sundsvall was relegated back to Superettan after losing in the play-offs.

Moving to Malmö FF

Emil Forsberg preparing for a penalty kick for RB Leipzig.

On 10 December 2012, Emil Forsberg officially became a player for Malmö FF. He joined the team on 1 January 2013, signing a four-year contract. His first season with Malmö was very successful. He played 28 matches and scored five goals. The club went on to win the league title that year.

He also played in all the qualification matches for the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League, scoring two goals. In the 2014 season, Malmö FF had another great year. Emil played in 29 league games and scored 14 goals. He was a key player as the team won the league title again. He also played in all of Malmö FF's matches in the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League. This was a big achievement as Malmö FF made it to the group stage. Because of his great performance, Emil won the award for Allsvenskan Midfielder of the Year.

Time at RB Leipzig

Emil Forsberg playing for Sweden in 2019.

In January 2015, Emil Forsberg moved to Germany. He joined RB Leipzig, a team in the German second league, on a three-and-a-half-year deal. In February 2016, he extended his contract until 2021. During the 2015–16 season, Emil was named the best player in the 2. Bundesliga.

In the 2016–17 season, Emil Forsberg became a top player in the Bundesliga. He ended the season with 22 assists, which means he helped set up 22 goals for his teammates. This was the highest number of assists in the Bundesliga and among the top five leagues in Europe. He was also named to the Bundesliga Team of the Season. On 13 September 2017, he made history by scoring RB Leipzig's first-ever Champions League goal. This happened in a 1–1 draw against Monaco.

In the 2019–20 season, he scored two goals in stoppage time against Benfica. This helped RB Leipzig secure a spot in the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League knockout phase. The team reached the semi-finals before losing to Paris Saint-Germain. On 4 November 2020, Emil scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League. This was RB Leipzig's first win against that team.

On 24 February 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 special because it was the 1000th goal in RB Leipzig's history! In his final home match for Leipzig on 16 December 2023, Emil scored the winning goal and assisted another. He made his last appearance for the club three days later, captaining the team and assisting a goal.

Joining New York Red Bulls

On 16 December 2023, the Major League Soccer team New York Red Bulls announced that Emil Forsberg would join them in 2024. He signed a contract until 2026, with an option for another year. On 25 February 2024, Emil made his debut for New York. He started in the first match of the season, which was a 0–0 draw against Nashville SC. On 9 March 2024, he scored his first goal for New York and assisted another. This helped his team win 2–1 against FC Dallas. On 29 May 2024, Emil scored two goals for New York in a 3–1 victory over Charlotte FC.

International Career for Sweden

Early International Matches

Emil Forsberg playing for Sweden in 2015.

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

UEFA Euro 2016 Participation

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

2018 FIFA World Cup Journey

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

UEFA Euro 2020 Performance

Emil Forsberg was part of Sweden's 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2020. He had an amazing tournament, scoring four goals. In the Round of 16 game against Ukraine, he hit the crossbar and the post. Sweden unfortunately lost that game 2–1 after extra-time. Despite the loss, Emil was praised as one of the best players in the tournament for his performances. He is the only Swedish player to have scored four goals in a UEFA European Championship. This broke the previous record of three goals held by Tomas Brolin (in 1992) and Henrik Larsson (in 2004).

About Emil Forsberg's Life

Emil Forsberg comes from a family of footballers. His father, Leif Forsberg, and his grandfather, Lennart Forsberg, both played for GIF Sundsvall. On 17 July 2016, Emil married Shanga Hussain, who used to be a footballer herself. They met in Sundsvall and now live in Leipzig. They have a pet dog named Roffe, who is a golden retriever. They welcomed their first child in August 2018.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

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
Career total			419	102	39	14	74	18	12	4	544	138

International Appearances and Goals

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