Victor Lindelöf facts for kids
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Lindelöf playing for Sweden in 2022
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Victor Jörgen Nilsson Lindelöf | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 17 July 1994 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Västerås, Sweden | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| IK Franke | ||||||||||||||||
| Västerås IK | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Västerås SK | |||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Benfica | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2012 | Västerås SK | 50 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2015 | Benfica B | 96 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2017 | Benfica | 48 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2025 | Manchester United | 194 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Sweden U17 | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Sweden U19 | 17 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Sweden U21 | 13 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2016– | Sweden | 71 | (3) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:15, 25 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:19, 25 March 2025 (UTC) |
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Victor Jörgen Nilsson Lindelöf (born on 17 July 1994) is a professional footballer from Sweden. He plays as a centre-back, which is a defensive position in football. He is also the captain of the Sweden national team.
Lindelöf started his football journey in Sweden with Västerås SK. In 2011, he moved to Benfica in Portugal, where he first played for their youth and reserve teams. He later became a key player for Benfica's main team, winning several league titles.
In 2017, he joined Manchester United in England. During his time there, he helped the team win the EFL Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024. He left Manchester United at the end of the 2024–25 season.
Victor Lindelöf has played for Sweden at different age levels, including the under-17, under-19, and under-21 teams. He was part of the Swedish team that won the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He made his debut for the senior national team in 2016 and has represented Sweden in major tournaments like UEFA Euro 2016, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2020.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in Sweden
Lindelöf played for several local clubs in his hometown of Västerås when he was younger. These included IK Franke, Västerås IK, and Västerås SK.
Playing for Västerås SK
In October 2009, when he was just 15 years old, Lindelöf played his first game for Västerås SK's senior team. His team won that match 3–0. The next season, he helped his team get promoted to a higher league in Sweden.
Moving to Benfica in Portugal
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In December 2011, Lindelöf agreed to join the Portuguese club Benfica. He officially moved there in the summer of 2012. He first played for their youth team, helping them win the Portuguese under-19 championship in the 2012–13 season.
First Team Debut and Success
Lindelöf made his first appearance for Benfica's main team in October 2013 in a Portuguese Cup game. He continued to play for the reserve team while also getting chances with the first team. In the 2015–16 season, he became a regular player for Benfica. He scored his first goal for the club in February 2016. By the time he left Benfica, he had won three Primeira Liga titles, two Portuguese Cup titles, and one Portuguese League Cup.
Joining Manchester United
First Season: 2017–18
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On 10 June 2017, Manchester United announced they would sign Lindelöf from Benfica. The transfer fee was about €35 million. He officially joined the club on 1 July 2017.
He made his first official appearance for Manchester United against Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup. However, it took him over two months to make his Premier League debut. In his first season, he played in 17 league matches.
Becoming a Regular: 2018–19
In the 2018–19 season, Lindelöf became a key player for Manchester United. He started most of the league matches. On 29 January 2019, he scored his first goal for the club in a 2–2 draw against Burnley.
New Contract and Partnership: 2019–20
In September 2019, Lindelöf signed a new contract with Manchester United, keeping him at the club until 2024. He scored one goal that season in a 2–2 draw against Aston Villa. He played in 35 league games, forming a strong defensive partnership with Harry Maguire.
Goals and Europa League Final: 2020–21
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On 20 December 2020, Lindelöf scored his first goal of the 2020–21 season in a big 6–2 win against Leeds United. He also played in Manchester United's record-equalling 9–0 win against Southampton. In May 2021, he played in the 2021 UEFA Europa League final against Villarreal, where he scored a penalty in the shootout, but United lost the match.
Cup Success and Departure: 2022–25
In the 2022–23 season, Lindelöf often played as a backup defender. However, when other defenders got injured, he stepped up and played important matches. He scored the winning penalty in the FA Cup semi-final shootout against Brighton & Hove Albion, helping United reach the final. He also played in the FA Cup final against Manchester City, which United lost 2–1. He was known for his excellent passing accuracy that season.
On 11 November 2023, Lindelöf scored his first goal since 2020 in a 1–0 win against Luton Town. His contract was extended until July 2025. In March 2025, he missed a penalty in an FA Cup shootout against Fulham, which led to Manchester United being knocked out of the competition. In May 2025, Manchester United announced that Lindelöf would leave the club when his contract ended.
International Career for Sweden
Youth Team Success
Lindelöf first played for the Swedish under-21 team in October 2014. Even though he wasn't originally in the squad for the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, he joined the team due to an injury to another player. He played in the final against Portugal and scored the winning penalty in the shootout, making Sweden the European under-21 champions. He was also named in the "Team of the Tournament."
Playing for the Senior Team
Lindelöf was first called up to the senior Sweden squad in March 2016. He made his debut in a friendly match against Turkey.
Major Tournaments
He was chosen for Sweden's squad for UEFA Euro 2016 and started all three group games. In October 2016, he scored his first goal for Sweden in a 3–0 win against Bulgaria during a World Cup qualifier.
In May 2018, he was part of Sweden's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He played as a regular defender alongside Andreas Granqvist. Sweden reached the quarter-finals before being knocked out by England.
He also represented Sweden at UEFA Euro 2020, where Sweden reached the round of 16. In August 2021, Lindelöf was named the new captain of the Sweden national team.
Personal Life
After moving to Manchester United in 2017, Victor Lindelöf got engaged to his long-time girlfriend, Maja Nilsson. They got married in Sweden in May 2018. They have two sons, born in March 2019 and October 2021.
In August 2020, while in his hometown, Lindelöf saw a 90-year-old woman being robbed. He chased the thief and held him until the police arrived. The police thanked him for his quick and helpful actions.
In January 2022, while Lindelöf was playing a match, his home in Manchester was broken into. His wife and children were at home but managed to hide and were not harmed.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Västerås SK | 2009 | Division 1 Norra | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2010 | Division 1 Norra | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 0 | |||||
| 2011 | Superettan | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 28 | 0 | ||||
| 2012 | Division 1 Norra | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 50 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 0 | ||
| Benfica B | 2012–13 | Segunda Liga | 15 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 15 | 0 | ||||
| 2013–14 | Segunda Liga | 33 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 33 | 2 | |||||
| 2014–15 | Segunda Liga | 41 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 41 | 2 | |||||
| 2015–16 | LigaPro | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 96 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 96 | 4 | ||
| Benfica | 2013–14 | Primeira Liga | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
| 2014–15 | Primeira Liga | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2015–16 | Primeira Liga | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 | |
| 2016–17 | Primeira Liga | 32 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 1 | |
| Total | 48 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 73 | 2 | ||
| Manchester United | 2017–18 | Premier League | 17 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| 2018–19 | Premier League | 30 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 40 | 1 | ||
| 2019–20 | Premier League | 35 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 47 | 1 | ||
| 2020–21 | Premier League | 29 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 | — | 45 | 1 | ||
| 2021–22 | Premier League | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 35 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Premier League | 20 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 35 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | Premier League | 19 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 28 | 1 | ||
| 2024–25 | Premier League | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | |
| Total | 194 | 4 | 23 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 49 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 284 | 4 | ||
| Career total | 388 | 10 | 30 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 61 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 504 | 10 | ||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | |||
| 2016 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 71 | 3 | |
- As of match played 25 March 2025. Sweden score listed first, score column indicates score after each Lindelöf goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 October 2016 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden |  Bulgaria |
3–0 | 3–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 20 November 2018 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden |  Russia |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2018–19 UEFA Nations League B |
| 3 | 5 September 2019 | Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands |  Faroe Islands |
3–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualification |
Honours and Awards
Västerås SK
- Division 1 Norra: 2010
Benfica
- Primeira Liga: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17
- Taça de Portugal: 2013–14, 2016–17
- Taça da Liga: 2015–16
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2016
Manchester United
- FA Cup: 2023–24
- EFL Cup: 2022–23
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2020–21, 2024–25
Sweden U21
Individual Awards
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2015
- Swedish Defender of the Year: 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
- UEFA Champions League Breakthrough XI: 2016
- SJPF Primeira Liga Team of the Year: 2016
- Guldbollen: 2018, 2019
- BBC Team of the Week. Week 16, 2023.
See also
In Spanish: Victor Lindelöf para niños
