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Sweden men's national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
For the women's team, see Sweden women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
Sweden
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Blågult
(The Blue and Yellow)
Association Svenska Fotbollförbundet (SvFF)
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson
Captain Victor Lindelöf
Most caps Anders Svensson (148)
Top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimović (62)
Home stadium Nationalarenan
FIFA code SWE
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 14 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 2 (November 1994)
Lowest 45 (March 2015, October–November 2015, March 2017)
Elo ranking
Current 18 Increase 2 (3 March 2019)
Highest 2 (May–June 1949, October 1949, July 1950)
Lowest 48 (September 1980, May 1981)
First international
 Sweden 11–3 Norway 
(Gothenburg, Sweden; 12 July 1908)
Biggest win
 Sweden 12–0 Latvia 
(Stockholm, Sweden; 29 May 1927)
 Sweden 12–0 South Korea 
(London, England; 5 August 1948)
Biggest defeat
 Great Britain 12–1 Sweden 
(London, England; 20 October 1908)
World Cup
Appearances 12 (first in 1934)
Best result Runners-up (1958)
European Championship
Appearances 7 (first in 1992)
Best result Semi-finals (1992)
Medal record
World Cup
Silver 1958 Sweden Team
Bronze 1950 Brazil Team
Bronze 1994 United States Team
Olympic Games
Gold 1948 London Team
Bronze 1924 Paris Team
Bronze 1952 Helsinki Team
Website svenskfotboll.se

The Sweden men's national football team represents Sweden in international football games. It is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, which manages football in Sweden. The team's home stadium is Strawberry Arena in Solna. The current coach is Jon Dahl Tomasson.

Sweden has played in twelve World Cups and seven European Championships. They finished second in the 1958 FIFA World Cup, which they hosted. They also came third in the World Cup in 1950 and 1994. Sweden won a gold medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics and bronze medals in 1924 and 1952. They also reached the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 1992 when they hosted the tournament.

Team History

Sweden has a long history of being a strong football team. They have appeared in 12 World Cups and won 3 medals at the Olympics.

Early Football Days

Sweden national football team 1911
The Sweden team in 1911

Sweden played its first international match on July 12, 1908, winning 11–3 against Norway in Gothenburg. Later that year, they played in the 1908 Summer Olympics. They lost one game 1–12 against Great Britain, which is still their biggest loss ever.

Sweden also played in the 1912 and 1920 Olympics. In the 1924 Olympics, they won their first medal, a bronze.

World Cup and Olympic Success

1938 World Cup Journey

The 1938 World Cup was Sweden's second time at the tournament. They reached the quarter-finals without playing a first-round match because Austria withdrew. In the quarter-finals, they beat Cuba 8–0. However, they lost 1–5 to Hungary in the semi-finals. Sweden then lost 2–4 to Brazil in the third-place match, finishing fourth.

1948 Olympic Gold

Swedennationalfootballteamolympic1948
The 1948 team that won the Olympic gold medal

At the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, Sweden had a fantastic run. They beat Austria 3–0 and then had a huge 12–0 win against Korea. This was one of Sweden's biggest wins ever. In the semi-finals, they defeated their rivals, Denmark, 4–2.

The final was played at the famous Wembley Stadium. Sweden won the gold medal by beating Yugoslavia 3–1. This was Sweden's first major international football championship!

1950 World Cup Bronze

Sverige1950
The 1950 Sweden national team

For the 1950 World Cup, Sweden only used amateur players. They beat Italy 3–2 and drew 2–2 with Paraguay, moving to the next round.

In the second group stage, they faced hosts Brazil in front of over 138,000 fans at the Maracanã Stadium. Sweden lost 1–7. They then lost 2–3 to Uruguay. In their final game, Sweden beat Spain 3–1, earning their first World Cup medal by finishing third.

1958 World Cup Silver

Swedish squad at the 1958 FIFA World Cup
Sweden won the silver medal at the 1958 World Cup.

In 1956, professional players were allowed back into the national team. Sweden hosted the 1958 FIFA World Cup. They won their group by beating Mexico 3–0 and Hungary 2–1, and drawing 0–0 with Wales.

In the quarter-finals, Sweden beat the USSR 2–0. They then won their semi-final against West Germany 3–1.

The final was at Råsunda Stadium against Brazil. Brazil won 5–2, but Sweden achieved their best World Cup result ever, finishing as runners-up. After the game, the Brazilian players showed great sportsmanship by running around the pitch holding a Swedish flag.

Later Years and Key Tournaments

1960s and 1970s

After the 1958 success, Sweden struggled to qualify for major tournaments in the 1960s. They did qualify for the 1970 World Cup but did not advance past the group stage.

In the 1974 World Cup, Sweden reached the quarter-finals, finishing fifth overall. They had some exciting games, including a 3–0 win over Uruguay. They also played well against West Germany, losing 2–4 in a tough match. Sweden also played in the 1978 World Cup but did not get past the group stage.

1980s and 1990s

The 1980s were a tough period for Sweden, as they failed to qualify for any World Cups or European Championships.

They returned to the World Cup in 1990 but lost all three group games 1–2.

As hosts of UEFA Euro 1992, Sweden reached the semi-finals, their best result in the European Championship. They won their group, beating Denmark and drawing with France and England, before losing to Germany in the semi-finals.

1994 World Cup Bronze

Sweden had another amazing run at the 1994 World Cup in the United States. They drew 2–2 with Cameroon and 1–1 with Brazil, and beat Russia 3–1 in the group stage.

In the knockout rounds, they beat Saudi Arabia 3–1. The quarter-final against Romania was a thrilling match. After drawing 2–2, Sweden won in a penalty shootout, with goalkeeper Thomas Ravelli making two crucial saves. They lost to Brazil 0–1 in the semi-finals.

In the third-place match, Sweden beat Bulgaria 4–0, winning the bronze medal. This was their best World Cup finish since 1958.

2000s: Ups and Downs

Sweden qualified for UEFA Euro 2000 but were eliminated in the group stage.

At the 2002 World Cup, Sweden was in a tough group with Argentina, England, and Nigeria. They drew 1–1 with England, beat Nigeria 2–1, and drew 1–1 with Argentina, winning the "group of death." In the Round of 16, they lost to Senegal 1–2 in extra time.

In UEFA Euro 2004, Sweden impressed with a 5–0 win over Bulgaria. They drew 1–1 with Italy and 2–2 with Denmark, which helped both Sweden and Denmark advance. In the quarter-finals, they lost to the Netherlands in a penalty shootout.

Sweden qualified for the 2006 World Cup. They drew with Trinidad and Tobago, beat Paraguay 1–0, and drew 2–2 with England. They were knocked out in the Round of 16 by Germany, losing 0–2.

They also played in UEFA Euro 2008, beating Greece 2–0 but losing to Spain and Russia, which meant they didn't get past the group stage.

2010s: Zlatan's Magic and World Cup Return

Sweden missed out on the 2010 and 2014 World Cups after tough qualification campaigns. A memorable moment was a 4–4 draw against Germany in 2012, where Sweden came back from 0–4 down. In 2012, Zlatan Ibrahimović scored an amazing overhead bicycle kick goal against England, which won the FIFA Puskás Award.

Sweden qualified for UEFA Euro 2016 but were eliminated in the group stage.

They made a strong return to the World Cup in 2018. They won their group, beating South Korea 1–0 and Mexico 3–0, despite a 1–2 loss to Germany. They reached the quarter-finals by beating Switzerland 1–0, their best result since 1994. They then lost 0–2 to England.

2020s: Recent Challenges

Sweden qualified for UEFA Euro 2020 (played in 2021). They drew with Spain, beat Slovakia, and won against Poland in the group stage. They were eliminated in the Round of 16 after losing 1–2 to Ukraine in extra time.

Sweden did not qualify for the 2022 World Cup, losing in the play-offs to Poland. They also faced relegation in the UEFA Nations League and did not qualify for UEFA Euro 2024.

In March 2024, Jon Dahl Tomasson became the new manager of the Sweden national team. He is the first foreign manager since 1958.

Team Image

Supporters

2006-06-10 Dortmund Fussball-WM Alter Markt Schweden-Fans
Sweden national team supporters during the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Dortmund, Germany

Swedish fans have supported their team for a long time, even chanting at the 1912 Olympics. Traveling supporters became more common from the 1974 World Cup onwards. At the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Sweden had a huge number of fans, especially for their game against Paraguay, with about 50,000 supporters inside the stadium and another 50,000 outside. Swedish fans were even voted the best fans at that tournament for their large numbers and friendly attitude.

Rivalry

Sweden's biggest football rival is Denmark. They have played over 100 matches against each other. Denmark won the very first game 8–0 in 1913. Sweden's first win against Denmark was 4–0 in 1916.

In competitive matches, Sweden beat Denmark 1–0 in the group stage of UEFA Euro 1992. In UEFA Euro 2004, a 2–2 draw between them helped both teams advance and knocked Italy out. In the qualifiers for Euro 2008, Sweden was awarded a 3–0 win against Denmark after a fan ran onto the pitch. In the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Denmark beat Sweden twice, which meant Sweden did not qualify. More recently, Sweden beat Denmark 4–3 on aggregate in the play-offs to qualify for UEFA Euro 2016.

Kit Sponsorship

Sweden's home kit is usually yellow shirts, blue shorts, and yellow socks. Their away kit is blue shirts, yellow shorts, and blue socks. Adidas has been their kit manufacturer since 2013, and also from 1973 to 2003.

Kit supplier Period
United Kingdom Umbro 1970 FIFA World Cup
Germany Adidas 1974–2003
United Kingdom Umbro 2003–2013
Germany Adidas 2013–present

Home Stadium

Since 2012, Sweden's main national stadium is Strawberry Arena. It replaced Råsunda Fotbollsstadion, which was torn down. Råsunda was a famous stadium, one of only two in the world to host both men's and women's World Cup finals. It opened in 1910 and was expanded over the years. It hosted games in the 1912 Olympics and the 1958 World Cup. Other stadiums like Ullevi in Gothenburg are also used for some home games.

Recent Matches

Main article: Sweden national football team results (2020–present)

Here are some of Sweden's recent match results and upcoming games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024

5 September 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League C Azerbaijan  1–3  Sweden Baku, Azerbaijan
20:00 UTC+4
  • Dadashov Goal 82'
  • Isak Goal 65', 71'
  • Gyökeres Goal 80' (pen.)
 Stadium: Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium
Attendance: 9,450
Referee: Balázs Berke (Hungary)
8 September 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League C Sweden  3–0  Estonia Solna, Sweden
20:45 UTC+2
  • Gyökeres Goal 30', 44'
  • Isak Goal 40'
 Stadium: Nationalarenan
Attendance: 14,858
Referee: Sven Jablonski (Germany)
11 October 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League C Slovakia  2–2  Sweden Bratislava, Slovakia
20:45 UTC+2
  • Strelec Goal 44', 72'
  • Ayari Goal 25'
  • Sema Goal 32'
 Stadium: Tehelné pole
Attendance: 15,381
Referee: Maurizio Mariani (Italy)
14 October 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League C Estonia  0–3  Sweden Tallinn, Estonia
21:45 UTC+3
  • Nanasi Goal 29', 37'
  • Gyökeres Goal 66'
 Stadium: Lilleküla Stadium
Attendance: 4,706
Referee: Juxhin Xhaja (Albania)
16 November 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League C Sweden  2–1  Slovakia Solna, Sweden
20:45 UTC+1
  • Gyökeres Goal 3'
  • Isak Goal 48'
  • Hancko Goal 19'
 Stadium: Nationalarenan
Attendance: 36,417
Referee: Mykola Balakin (Ukraine)
19 November 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League C Sweden  6–0  Azerbaijan Solna, Sweden
20:45 UTC+1
  • Kulusevski Goal 10', 57'
  • Gyökeres Goal 26', 37', 58', 70'
 Stadium: Nationalarenan
Attendance: 10,127
Referee: Paweł Raczkowski (Poland)

2025

22 March 2025 Friendly Luxembourg  1–0  Sweden Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
18:00 UTC+1
  • Korać Goal 24'
 Stadium: Stade de Luxembourg
Attendance: 9,214
Referee: Luca Cibelli (Switzerland)
25 March 2025 Friendly Sweden  5–1  Northern Ireland Solna, Sweden
19:00 UTC+1
  • Holm Goal 7'
  • Nygren Goal 33'
  • Sema Goal 59'
  • Isak Goal 64'
  • Elanga Goal 77'
  • Price Goal 90'
 Stadium: Nationalarenan
Attendance: 14,147
Referee: Matthew MacDermid (Scotland)
6 June 2025 Friendly Hungary  0–2  Sweden Budapest, Hungary
19:30 UTC+2
  • Nygren Goal 49'
  • Ayari Goal 66'
 Stadium: Puskás Aréna
Attendance: 53,865
Referee: Atilla Karaoğlan (Turkey)
10 June 2025 Friendly Sweden  4–3  Algeria Solna, Sweden
19:00 UTC+2
  • Sema Goal 14', 39', 50' (pen.)
  • Salétros Goal 56'
  • Bennacer Goal 64'
  • Benzia Goal 71'
  • Bentaleb Goal 87' (pen.)
 Stadium: Nationalarenan
Attendance: 15,148
Referee: Rob Harvey (Ireland)
5 September 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Slovenia  v  Sweden Ljubljana, Slovenia
20:45 UTC+2 Stadium: Stožice Stadium
8 September 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Kosovo  v  Sweden Pristina, Kosovo
20:45 UTC+2 Stadium: Fadil Vokrri Stadium
10 October 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Sweden  v  Switzerland Solna, Sweden
20:45 UTC+2 Stadium: Nationalarenan
13 October 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Sweden  v  Kosovo Gothenburg, Sweden
20:45 UTC+2 Stadium: Ullevi
15 November 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Switzerland  v  Sweden Geneva, Switzerland
20:45 UTC+1 Stadium: Stade de Genève
18 November 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Sweden  v  Slovenia Solna, Sweden
20:45 UTC+1 Stadium: Nationalarenan

Team Management

Coaching Staff

Dahl Thomasson 2021 (cropped)
Sweden's manager Jon Dahl Tomasson

Here are the people who manage and coach the Swedish national football team:

Name Position
Sweden Simon Åström Chairman
Sweden Tobias Tibell General secretary (acting)
Sweden Kim Källström Head of football
Sweden Stefan Pettersson Team manager
Name Position
Denmark Jon Dahl Tomasson Manager
Netherlands Remy Reynierse Assistant managers
Sweden Sebastian Larsson
Sweden Maths Elfvendal Goalkeeping coach
Sweden Christoffer Bernspång Match analysts
England Liam Holt
England Ben Rosen Performance manager
Sweden Fredrik Larsson Physiotherapists
Sweden Calle Persson

Manager History

Main article: List of Sweden national football team managers

Here's a list of the head coaches who have led the Swedish national team:

  • 1962–1965 Lennart Nyman
  • 1966–1970 Orvar Bergmark
  • 1971–1979 Georg Ericson
  • 1980–1985 Lars Arnesson
  • 1986–1990 Olle Nordin
  • 199000000 Nisse Andersson (caretaker)
  • 1991–1997 Tommy Svensson
  • 1998–1999 Tommy Söderberg
  • 2000–2004 Lars Lagerbäck & Tommy Söderberg
  • 2004–2009 Lars Lagerbäck
  • 2009–2016 Erik Hamrén
  • 2016–2023 Janne Andersson
  • 202400000 Daniel Bäckström (caretaker)
  • 2024–0000 Jon Dahl Tomasson

Players

Current Squad

The following 23 players were called up for friendly matches in June 2025.

Caps and goals are correct as of June 10, 2025, after the match against Algeria.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Robin Olsen (1990-01-08) 8 January 1990 (age 35) 77 0 Sweden Malmö FF
12 1GK Viktor Johansson (1998-09-14) 14 September 1998 (age 26) 9 0 England Stoke City
23 1GK Kristoffer Nordfeldt (1989-06-23) 23 June 1989 (age 36) 18 0 Sweden AIK
2 2DF Hjalmar Ekdal (1998-10-21) 21 October 1998 (age 26) 9 0 England Burnley
4 2DF Isak Hien (1999-01-13) 13 January 1999 (age 26) 21 0 Italy Atalanta
5 2DF Gabriel Gudmundsson (1999-04-29) 29 April 1999 (age 26) 15 0 England Leeds United
6 2DF Samuel Dahl (2003-03-04) 4 March 2003 (age 22) 2 0 Portugal Benfica
7 2DF Emil Holm (2000-05-13) 13 May 2000 (age 25) 14 2 Italy Bologna
8 2DF Daniel Svensson (2002-02-12) 12 February 2002 (age 23) 3 0 Germany Borussia Dortmund
13 2DF Ken Sema (1993-09-30) 30 September 1993 (age 31) 28 5 Cyprus Pafos
15 2DF John Mellberg (2006-07-30) 30 July 2006 (age 19) 0 0 Austria Red Bull Salzburg
24 2DF Victor Eriksson (2000-09-17) 17 September 2000 (age 24) 1 0 Sweden Hammarby IF
25 2DF Axel Norén (1999-04-04) 4 April 1999 (age 26) 0 0 Sweden Mjällby AIF
14 3MF Anton Salétros (1996-04-12) 12 April 1996 (age 29) 15 1 Sweden AIK
16 3MF Jesper Karlström (1995-06-21) 21 June 1995 (age 30) 19 0 Italy Udinese
18 3MF Yasin Ayari (2003-10-06) 6 October 2003 (age 21) 12 2 England Brighton & Hove Albion
19 3MF Hugo Bolin (2003-07-24) 24 July 2003 (age 22) 2 0 Sweden Malmö FF
20 3MF Hugo Larsson (2004-06-27) 27 June 2004 (age 21) 10 0 Germany Eintracht Frankfurt
21 3MF Besfort Zeneli (2002-11-21) 21 November 2002 (age 22) 3 0 Sweden IF Elfsborg
10 4FW Benjamin Nygren (2001-07-08) 8 July 2001 (age 24) 4 2 Scotland Celtic
17 4FW Momodou Sonko (2005-01-31) 31 January 2005 (age 20) 0 0 Belgium Gent
22 4FW Alexander Bernhardsson (1998-09-08) 8 September 1998 (age 26) 3 0 Germany Holstein Kiel
26 4FW Jordan Larsson (1997-06-20) 20 June 1997 (age 28) 8 1 Denmark Copenhagen

Recent Call-ups

These players have also been called up to the Sweden squad in the last year.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Oliver Dovin (2002-07-11) 11 July 2002 (age 23) 2 0 England Coventry City v.  Northern Ireland, 25 March 2025
GK Jacob Widell Zetterström (1998-07-11) 11 July 1998 (age 27) 1 0 England Derby County v.  Azerbaijan, 19 November 2024
DF Victor Lindelöf (captain) (1994-07-17) 17 July 1994 (age 31) 71 3 Unattached v.  Algeria, 10 June 2025 WD
DF Carl Starfelt (1995-06-01) 1 June 1995 (age 30) 14 0 Spain Celta Vigo v.  Northern Ireland, 25 March 2025
DF Gustaf Lagerbielke (2000-04-10) 10 April 2000 (age 25) 3 1 Portugal Braga v.  Northern Ireland, 25 March 2025
DF Emil Krafth (1994-08-02) 2 August 1994 (age 31) 50 0 England Newcastle United v.  Azerbaijan, 19 November 2024 WD
DF Henrik Castegren (1996-03-28) 28 March 1996 (age 29) 1 0 Sweden IK Sirius v.  Azerbaijan, 19 November 2024
DF Nils Zätterström (2005-03-29) 29 March 2005 (age 20) 1 0 Sweden Malmö FF v.  Azerbaijan, 19 November 2024
DF Eric Smith (1997-01-08) 8 January 1997 (age 28) 0 0 Germany FC St. Pauli v.  Azerbaijan, 19 November 2024 WD
DF Ludwig Augustinsson (1994-04-21) 21 April 1994 (age 31) 56 2 Belgium Anderlecht v.  Estonia, 14 October 2024
DF Alex Douglas (2001-08-17) 17 August 2001 (age 24) 4 0 Poland Lech Poznań v.  Estonia, 14 October 2024
DF Linus Wahlqvist (1996-11-11) 11 November 1996 (age 28) 16 0 Poland Pogoń Szczecin v.  Estonia, 8 September 2024
DF Edvin Kurtulus (2000-03-05) 5 March 2000 (age 25) 4 0 Bulgaria Ludogorets Razgrad v.  Estonia, 8 September 2024
MF Sebastian Nanasi (2002-05-16) 16 May 2002 (age 23) 8 3 France Strasbourg v.  Northern Ireland, 25 March 2025
MF Lucas Bergvall (2006-02-02) 2 February 2006 (age 19) 4 0 England Tottenham Hotspur v.  Northern Ireland, 25 March 2025 WD
MF Melker Widell (2002-04-19) 19 April 2002 (age 23) 1 0 Wales Swansea City v.  Northern Ireland, 25 March 2025
MF Emil Forsberg (1991-10-23) 23 October 1991 (age 33) 90 21 United States New York Red Bulls v.  Azerbaijan, 19 November 2024
MF Dejan Kulusevski (vice-captain) (2000-04-25) 25 April 2000 (age 25) 45 5 England Tottenham Hotspur v.  Azerbaijan, 19 November 2024
MF Simon Olsson (1997-09-14) 14 September 1997 (age 27) 3 0 Sweden IF Elfsborg v.  Estonia, 14 October 2024
MF Mattias Svanberg (1999-01-05) 5 January 1999 (age 26) 35 2 Germany VfL Wolfsburg v.  Estonia, 8 September 2024
MF Jens Cajuste (1999-08-10) 10 August 1999 (age 26) 25 0 Italy Napoli v.  Estonia, 8 September 2024
FW Alexander Isak (1999-09-21) 21 September 1999 (age 25) 52 16 England Newcastle United v.  Algeria, 10 June 2025 WD
FW Viktor Gyökeres (1998-06-04) 4 June 1998 (age 27) 26 15 Portugal Sporting CP v.  Algeria, 10 June 2025 WD
FW Anthony Elanga (2002-04-27) 27 April 2002 (age 23) 22 4 England Newcastle United v.  Algeria, 10 June 2025 WD
FW Gustaf Nilsson (1997-05-23) 23 May 1997 (age 28) 8 3 Belgium Club Brugge v.  Algeria, 10 June 2025 WD
FW Niclas Eliasson (1995-12-07) 7 December 1995 (age 29) 8 0 Greece AEK Athens v.  Northern Ireland, 25 March 2025
FW Isac Lidberg (1998-09-08) 8 September 1998 (age 26) 1 0 Germany Darmstadt 98 v.  Azerbaijan, 19 November 2024
Notes
  • WD = Player withdrew from the squad

Previous Squads

Player Records

Main article: List of Sweden international footballers
Players in bold are still active with Sweden.

Most Games Played

Anders Svensson (cropped)
Anders Svensson is Sweden's most capped player of all time, with 148 appearances for the national team.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Svensson, AndersAnders Svensson 148 21 1999–2013
2 Ravelli, ThomasThomas Ravelli 143 0 1981–1997
3 Isaksson, AndreasAndreas Isaksson 133 0 2002–2016
Larsson, SebastianSebastian Larsson 133 10 2008–2021
5 Källström, KimKim Källström 131 16 2001–2016
6 Ibrahimović, ZlatanZlatan Ibrahimović 122 62 2001–2023
7 Mellberg, OlofOlof Mellberg 117 8 2000–2012
8 Nilsson, RolandRoland Nilsson 116 1 1986–2000
9 Nordqvist, BjörnBjörn Nordqvist 115 0 1963–1978
10 Alexandersson, NiclasNiclas Alexandersson 109 7 1993–2008

Top Goal Scorers

Zlatan Ibrahimović Euro 2012 vs England
Zlatan Ibrahimović is Sweden's all-time top goalscorer, with 62 goals for the national team.
Rank Player Goals Caps Average Career
1 Ibrahimović, ZlatanZlatan Ibrahimović (list) 62 122 0.51 2001–2023
2 Rydell, SvenSven Rydell 49 43 1.14 1923–1932
3 Nordahl, GunnarGunnar Nordahl 43 33 1.3 1942–1948
4 Larsson, HenrikHenrik Larsson 37 106 0.35 1993–2009
5 Gren, GunnarGunnar Gren 32 57 0.56 1940–1958
6 Andersson, KennetKennet Andersson 31 83 0.37 1990–2000
7 Allbäck, MarcusMarcus Allbäck 30 74 0.41 1999–2008
8 Dahlin, MartinMartin Dahlin 29 60 0.48 1991–1997
9 Brolin, TomasTomas Brolin 27 47 0.57 1990–1995
Simonsson, AgneAgne Simonsson 27 51 0.53 1957–1967

Age Records

  • Oldest player: Zlatan Ibrahimović at 41 years, 5 months, and 21 days (against Belgium on March 24, 2023).
  • Youngest player to debut: Gunnar Pleijel at 17 years, 2 months, and 11 days (against Finland on October 22, 1911).
  • Oldest player to debut: Stendy Appeltoft at 34 years, 9 months, and 1 day (against Finland on August 28, 1955).
  • Longest career: Zlatan Ibrahimović played for 22 years, 1 month, and 24 days (from January 31, 2001, to March 24, 2023).
  • Oldest goal scorer: Gunnar Gren at 37 years, 11 months, and 26 days (two goals against Denmark on October 26, 1958).
  • Youngest goal scorer: Alexander Isak at 17 years, 3 months, and 22 days (one goal against Slovakia on January 12, 2017).

Notable Captains

Main article: List of Sweden national football team captains
Björn nordqvist
Björn Nordqvist, with 92 matches as team captain, is the Swedish player with the most captaincies.
UEFA EURO qualifiers Sweden vs Spain 20191015 Victor Nilsson Lindelöf 2 (cropped)
Victor Lindelöf has captained Sweden since 2021.

This list shows captains who have led the team in 30 or more matches, or in a major tournament (World Cup, Euro, Olympics).

Player First to last captaincy Matches as captain Major tournament(s)
Björn Nordqvist 1967–1978 92 1970, 1974, 1978 World Cups
Zlatan Ibrahimović 2008–2016 58 2012, 2016 Euros
Jonas Thern 1989–1997 55 1990, 1994 World Cups; 1992 Euro
Ingemar Erlandsson 1981–1985 47 —
Patrik Andersson 1995–2002 41 2000 Euro
Orvar Bergmark 1959–1965 38 —
Erik Nilsson 1947–1952 37 1950 World Cup; 1952 Olympics
Olof Mellberg 2002–2006 36 2004 Euro; 2006 World Cup
Andreas Granqvist 2016–2019 33 2018 World Cup
Sven Friberg 1920–1928 30 1924 Olympics

Team Achievements

Major Competitions

Regional Titles

  • Nordic Football Championship
    • Champions (9): 1933–36, 1937–47, 1948–51, 1952–55, 1956–59, 1960–63, 1964–67, 1968–71, 1972–77

Summary of Medals

Competition 1 2 3 Total
World Cup 0 1 2 3
Olympic Games 1 0 2 3
Total 1 1 4 6

Images for kids

  • Swedish National football team starting 11 1958 WC final

    Sweden in the 1958 FIFA World Cup Final

  • FIFA World Cup 2006 - GER vs SWE

    Sweden playing against Germany in the 2006 FIFA World Cup at Munich's Allianz Arena

  • Sweden supporters 2008

    Sweden national team supporters during UEFA Euro 2008

  • Sweden national football team 20120611

    Sweden at the UEFA Euro 2012

  • FIFA World Cup-qualification 2014 - Austria vs Sweden 2013-06-07 (003)

    The Sweden national team before playing against Austria in 2013 during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers

  • Russia-Sweden 2015 (16)

    The Sweden national team before playing against Russia in 2015 during the Euro 2016 qualifiers

  • Swedish national football team 2006

    Sweden national team of 2006

  • España Suecia inicio

    Sweden and Spain meet in UEFA Euro 2008 Group D

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Suecia para niños

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