Marcus Berg facts for kids
Berg with Sweden at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Bengt Erik Markus Berg | ||
| Date of birth | 17 August 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Torsby, Sweden | ||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
IFK Göteborg (assistant coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1990–1998 | IFK Velen | ||
| 1998–2000 | Torsby IF | ||
| 2003–2004 | IFK Göteborg | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2000–2003 | Torsby IF | 24 | |
| 2005–2007 | IFK Göteborg | 53 | (21) |
| 2007–2009 | Groningen | 56 | (32) |
| 2009–2013 | Hamburger SV | 54 | (5) |
| 2010–2011 | → PSV (loan) | 25 | (8) |
| 2013–2017 | Panathinaikos | 115 | (73) |
| 2017–2019 | Al Ain | 41 | (35) |
| 2019–2021 | Krasnodar | 44 | (18) |
| 2021–2023 | IFK Göteborg | 65 | (30) |
| Total | 477 | (222) | |
| International career | |||
| 2004–2005 | Sweden U19 | 8 | (3) |
| 2006–2009 | Sweden U21 | 19 | (8) |
| 2008–2021 | Sweden | 90 | (24) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2025– | IFK Göteborg (assistant) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Bengt Erik Markus Berg (born on August 17, 1986) is a Swedish former professional footballer. He played as a striker, which means he was a forward player who focused on scoring goals.
Marcus Berg started his football journey in Sweden with IFK Göteborg in the early 2000s. He then played for teams in the Netherlands, Germany, Greece, the United Arab Emirates, and Russia. In 2021, he returned to IFK Göteborg.
He was also a key player for the Swedish national team from 2008 to 2021. He played in 90 games and scored 24 goals for his country. Berg represented Sweden in major tournaments like UEFA Euro 2016, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2020. After retiring as a player in 2023, he became an assistant coach for IFK Göteborg in 2024.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting with IFK Göteborg
Marcus Berg joined the main team of IFK Göteborg in 2005 after playing two years in their youth squad. He played in the Allsvenskan, which is Sweden's top football league. During this time, he even played alongside his older brother, Jonatan.
Berg played for IFK Göteborg until the summer of 2007. He had a fantastic final season, scoring many goals. Göteborg won the league that year. When he left the field after a 5–0 win where he scored, fans gave him a huge cheer. This was his last game for the club before moving on.
IFK Göteborg fans called him Svarte-Marcus ("Black Marcus"). This nickname honored a famous old striker from the club, Filip "Svarte-Filip" Johansson, because Berg scored so many goals for the youth, reserve, and senior teams.
Playing in the Netherlands
On August 10, 2007, Marcus Berg moved to the Dutch club FC Groningen. He was signed to replace another famous player, Luis Suárez.
Berg had a great first season in the Netherlands. He scored 18 goals for Groningen in the 2007–08 season. This helped his team finish seventh in the league. In the 2008–09 season, he continued to play well, scoring 13 goals in 15 matches. He even scored four goals in one game against Roda JC.
Time with Hamburger SV
On July 17, 2009, Marcus Berg signed a five-year contract with Hamburger SV, a German club in the Bundesliga. This was a record transfer fee for a Groningen player.
In his very first Bundesliga game for Hamburg, Berg scored his first goal for the club just 182 seconds after coming onto the field. This was a record for the fastest goal by a substitute in the club's history. However, his first season in Germany was not as successful as hoped, and he scored only three more goals in 30 games.
Loan to PSV Eindhoven
On July 17, 2010, Berg was loaned to PSV, another Dutch club, for a season. He returned to Hamburger SV after this loan.
Returning to Hamburg
After his loan, Berg played only 13 games in the 2011–12 Bundesliga season due to injuries and not being in top form. He scored just one goal. In November 2012, it was announced that Hamburg might need to sell some players, and Berg was one of them. There were talks about him possibly returning to IFK Göteborg.
Success with Panathinaikos
On July 8, 2013, Marcus Berg signed a four-year contract with Panathinaikos, a club in Athens, Greece. He scored his first goal for them on August 18, 2013, in his very first game.
He quickly became a star for Panathinaikos. On March 2, 2014, he was named the best player in a huge 3–0 win against their rivals Olympiacos. This was the biggest away win in the history of this famous rivalry. The next week, he scored three goals in one game (a hat-trick) against Aris.
On April 26, 2014, Berg scored another hat-trick in the Greek Cup final against PAOK, leading Panathinaikos to a 4–1 victory and winning the cup. He continued to score many goals, including another hat-trick in January 2015. He signed a contract extension until 2018.
In August 2015, other clubs like PAOK and Marseille tried to sign Berg, but Panathinaikos did not want to sell him. He kept scoring important goals for the club, reaching 50 goals in all competitions by November 2015. In March 2016, he played his 100th official game for Panathinaikos.
On April 17, 2016, Berg scored an amazing five goals in one game against Panthrakikos, helping his team win 6–1. In August 2016, he scored two goals in a UEFA Europa League playoff game, helping Panathinaikos win 3–0. He extended his contract again in September 2016 and January 2017.
He continued his incredible scoring form in 2017, scoring hat-tricks against Panetolikos and Veria. He became the top scorer in the Greek Superleague for the first time. In May 2017, he received a suspension and missed the rest of the season's play-offs.
Moving to Al Ain
On June 28, 2017, Marcus Berg moved to Al Ain FC in the United Arab Emirates. He signed a two-year contract. Panathinaikos wished him well, saying he had given a lot to their club.
Berg had an amazing first season in the UAE Pro-League. On April 21, 2018, he scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 win against Al Nasr, which helped Al Ain win the league championship for the 13th time. He was the top scorer in the league that season with 25 goals.
On May 3, 2018, he scored a goal that helped Al Ain win the UAE President's Cup, securing a double trophy win for the club. In December 2018, he scored in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-finals, helping Al Ain reach the final.
Playing for Krasnodar
On July 13, 2019, Krasnodar in Russia announced they had signed Marcus Berg. He extended his contract for another year in June 2020. He finished his first season as Krasnodar's top scorer, with 10 goals in all competitions. Krasnodar finished third in the league, earning a spot in the UEFA Champions League play-off round.
In the 2020–21 season, Berg scored his first goal on August 9, 2020. He helped Krasnodar qualify for the Champions League group stage for the first time in their history. On December 2, 2020, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win over Rennes in the Champions League, which helped Krasnodar qualify for the Europa League.
Return to IFK Göteborg and Retirement
On March 22, 2021, it was announced that Marcus Berg would return to his first professional club, IFK Göteborg, on a free transfer. He signed a two-and-a-half-year contract and rejoined the team on July 1, 2021.
On September 25, 2023, Marcus Berg announced his retirement from playing football due to a serious back injury. In 2024, he joined IFK Göteborg's coaching staff as a developer for the men's first team.
International Career
Youth Team Success
Marcus Berg started his international career with the Sweden U19 team, scoring 3 goals in 8 games. He then played for the Sweden U21 team.
He played in the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship held in Sweden. He was an outstanding player, scoring 7 goals in 4 games. Sweden reached the semi-finals but was eliminated by England. After the tournament, UEFA named Berg the Player of the Tournament, and his 7 goals won him the Golden Boot award for top scorer. His 7 goals set a new record for the tournament.
Playing for the Senior National Team
Early Years and World Cup Qualifiers
Berg first joined the Swedish senior team in February 2008 for a friendly match against Turkey. He played the full game, which ended in a 0–0 draw. He was not selected for UEFA Euro 2008 later that year.
He was regularly called up during Sweden's 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. He scored his first goal for Sweden on June 10, 2009, in a 4–0 home win against Malta. He also scored in the final qualifying match against Albania. Sweden did not qualify for the World Cup that year.
Berg made only two appearances in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying matches, scoring one goal in a 6–0 win against San Marino. He missed out on the final tournament. For the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification, he played in two matches and scored once against Kazakhstan. Sweden did not qualify for the 2014 World Cup.
UEFA Euro 2016
Berg scored two goals in the qualifying rounds for UEFA Euro 2016. He scored against Montenegro and Liechtenstein. In the play-off round, Sweden beat Denmark, securing their spot in the tournament.
On May 11, 2016, Berg was selected for the UEFA Euro 2016 squad, which was his first major tournament. He started in the opening match against the Republic of Ireland. Sweden was eliminated from the tournament after losing to Italy and Belgium.
2018 FIFA World Cup
After Zlatan Ibrahimović retired from international football, Berg became Sweden's main striker for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He scored his first goal in the qualifiers on September 6, 2016, against the Netherlands.
On October 7, 2017, Berg scored four goals in an amazing 8–0 win against Luxembourg. This was Sweden's biggest win in 79 years and a big step towards qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals. He was Sweden's top scorer in the qualifiers with 8 goals. Sweden then beat Italy 1–0 in the play-offs, returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2006. Berg was praised for his hard work in defense during these games.
In May 2018, he was named in Sweden's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Berg started in all five games for Sweden but did not score. Sweden was eliminated by England in the quarter-finals.
UEFA Euro 2020 and Retirement
On October 15, 2019, Berg scored his 20th international goal for Sweden in a 1–1 draw against Spain in a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying game. On September 8, 2020, he was the captain for Sweden for the first time in a UEFA Nations League game against Portugal.
In May 2021, he was selected for Sweden's squad for UEFA Euro 2020. After Sweden's first game against Spain, Berg faced online criticism for missing a scoring chance. The Swedish Football Association reported this abuse to the police.
On July 9, 2021, Marcus Berg announced his retirement from international football. He played a total of 90 games for Sweden and scored 24 goals.
Playing Style
Marcus Berg was known for his excellent heading ability and his great first touch on the ball. He could shoot and pass well with both his right and left foot. He was also known for his clever dribbles and scoring goals from tricky angles.
In his first season in the Eredivisie, he scored 15 goals in just 25 matches, even though he had a back injury. In his second season for Groningen, he scored 13 goals in his first 15 matches. His amazing performance at the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, where he scored a record seven goals in four matches, earned him the player of the tournament award.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Torsby IF | 2000 | Division 5 Värmland Västra | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | |||||
| 2001 | Division 4 Värmland | 10 | — | — | — | 10 | ||||||
| 2002 | Division 4 Värmland | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | ||||||
| 2003 | Division 4 Värmland | 11 | — | — | — | 11 | ||||||
| Total | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | ||||
| IFK Göteborg | 2005 | Allsvenskan | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 7 |
| 2006 | Allsvenskan | 22 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 30 | 6 | |
| 2007 | Allsvenskan | 17 | 14 | 3 | 4 | — | — | 20 | 18 | |||
| Total | 53 | 21 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 73 | 31 | ||
| Groningen | 2007–08 | Eredivisie | 25 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 31 | 18 |
| 2008–09 | Eredivisie | 31 | 17 | 3 | 4 | — | 4 | 5 | 38 | 26 | ||
| Total | 56 | 32 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 69 | 44 | ||
| Hamburger SV | 2009–10 | Bundesliga | 30 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 6 | — | 44 | 10 | |
| 2011–12 | Bundesliga | 13 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 14 | 2 | |||
| 2012–13 | Bundesliga | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 12 | 1 | |||
| Total | 54 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 13 | ||
| PSV (loan) | 2010–11 | Eredivisie | 25 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 2 | — | 41 | 11 | |
| Panathinaikos | 2013–14 | Super League Greece | 35 | 16 | 5 | 7 | — | — | 40 | 23 | ||
| 2014–15 | Super League Greece | 24 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 5 | — | 33 | 22 | ||
| 2015–16 | Super League Greece | 26 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | — | 34 | 19 | ||
| 2016–17 | Super League Greece | 30 | 24 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 4 | — | 44 | 31 | ||
| Total | 115 | 73 | 19 | 11 | 17 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 151 | 95 | ||
| Al Ain | 2017–18 | UAE Pro League | 21 | 25 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 36 | 36 |
| 2018–19 | UAE Pro League | 20 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 33 | 15 | |
| Total | 41 | 35 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 69 | 51 | ||
| Krasnodar | 2019–20 | Russian Premier League | 23 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | — | 32 | 10 | |
| 2020–21 | Russian Premier League | 21 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | — | 31 | 12 | ||
| Total | 44 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 63 | 22 | ||
| IFK Göteborg | 2021 | Allsvenskan | 18 | 10 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 10 | ||
| 2022 | Allsvenskan | 26 | 13 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 30 | 14 | |||
| 2023 | Allsvenskan | 21 | 7 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 7 | |||
| Total | 65 | 30 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 72 | 31 | ||
| Career total | 477 | 222 | 48 | 27 | 85 | 36 | 22 | 13 | 632 | 298 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 2008 | 3 | 0 |
| 2009 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2010 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 9 | 3 | |
| 2016 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 9 | 7 | |
| 2018 | 14 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 8 | 2 | |
| Total | 90 | 24 | |
- Sweden's score is listed first, and the score column indicates the score after each Berg goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 June 2009 | Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden | 7 |  Malta |
4–0 | 4–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 14 October 2009 | Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden | 12 |  Albania |
2–0 | 4–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 29 May 2010 | Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden | 13 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
4–2 | 4–2 | Friendly |
| 4 | 7 September 2010 | Swedbank Stadion, Malmö, Sweden | 16 |  San Marino |
6–0 | 6–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 5 | 8 February 2011 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus | 19 |  Cyprus |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2011 Cyprus International Football Tournament |
| 6 | 11 September 2012 | Swedbank Stadion, Malmö, Sweden | 22 |  Kazakhstan |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 31 March 2015 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden | 28 |  Iran |
2–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 8 | 14 June 2015 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden | 30 |  Montenegro |
1–0 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying |
| 9 | 9 October 2015 | Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein | 33 |  Liechtenstein |
1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying |
| 10 | 29 March 2016 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden | 37 |  Czech Republic |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 11 | 6 September 2016 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden | 42 |  Netherlands |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 12 | 25 March 2017 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden | 46 |  Belarus |
3–0 | 4–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 13 | 31 August 2017 | Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria | 48 |  Bulgaria |
2–2 | 2–3 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 14 | 3 September 2017 | Borisov Arena, Barysaw, Belarus | 49 | Belarus |
3–0 | 4–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 15 | 7 October 2017 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden | 50 |  Luxembourg |
2–0 | 8–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 16 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 17 | 4–0 | ||||||
| 18 | 7–0 | ||||||
| 19 | 20 November 2018 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden | 67 |  Russia |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2018–19 UEFA Nations League B |
| 20 | 15 October 2019 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden | 75 |  Spain |
1–0 | 1–1 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 21 | 15 November 2019 | Arena Națională, Bucharest, Romania | 76 |  Romania |
1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 22 | 11 October 2020 | Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia | 79 |  Croatia |
1–1 | 1–2 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League A |
| 23 | 31 March 2021 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden | 84 |  Estonia |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 24 | 5 June 2021 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden | 86 |  Armenia |
3–1 | 3–1 | Friendly |
Awards and Achievements
IFK Göteborg
- Allsvenskan: 2007 (Swedish League Champion)
Panathinaikos
- Greek Cup: 2013–14 (Greek Cup Winner)
Al Ain FC
- UAE Pro-League: 2017–18 (UAE League Champion)
- UAE President's Cup: 2017–18 (UAE Cup Winner)
- FIFA Club World Cup runner-up: 2018 (Second Place)
Sweden U21
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship bronze: 2009 (Third Place)
Individual Awards
- Allsvenskan top scorer: 2007 (Top Scorer in Swedish League)
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship Golden Boot: 2009 (Top Scorer in U21 Euro)
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship Player of the Tournament: 2009 (Best Player in U21 Euro)
- Super League Greece Best Foreign Player: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17
- Super League Greece Golden Boot: 2016–17 (Top Scorer in Greek League with 22 goals)
- Super League Greece Player of the Season: 2016–17 (Best Player in Greek League)
- Super League Greece Team of the Season: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17
- Greek Cup Top Scorer: 2013–14 (Top Scorer in Greek Cup with 7 goals)
- UAE Pro-League Golden Boot: 2017–18 (Top Scorer in UAE League with 25 goals)
- Årets Ärkeängel: 2022 (Award from IFK Göteborg supporters)
See also
In Spanish: Marcus Berg para niños
