Victor Lindelöf facts for kids
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Lindelöf playing for Sweden in 2019
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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 | |||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Manchester United | |||||||||||||||
| Number | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| 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– | Manchester United | 183 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Sweden U17 | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Sweden U19 | 17 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Sweden U21 | 13 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2016– | Sweden | 70 | (3) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 00:16, 16 December 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:18, 16 November 2024 (UTC) |
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Victor Jörgen Nilsson Lindelöf (born 17 July 1994) is a Swedish professional football player. He plays as a defender for the English club Manchester United. He is also the captain of the Sweden national team. Victor mainly plays as a centre-back, which is a central defender. He can also play as a right-back or a defensive midfielder.
Lindelöf started his football journey in Sweden with Västerås SK. He made his first team appearance in October 2009. In 2011, he decided to move to Benfica in Portugal. There, he first played for their youth and reserve teams. After playing his first game for the main team in September 2013, he helped Benfica win three Portuguese league titles. He then joined Manchester United in July 2017.
Victor has played for Sweden at different age levels: under-17, under-19, under-21, and the senior national team. He was part of the team that won the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He played his first senior international game in March 2016. He has represented Sweden in major tournaments like UEFA Euro 2016, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2020.
Club Career
Starting Out in Sweden
Victor Lindelöf played for several clubs in his hometown of Västerås, Sweden, when he was young. These clubs 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 main team. His team won 3–0 against BK Forward. In the next season, he helped his team get promoted to a higher league in Sweden, called the Superettan. In 2011, he went to England for a trial with Stoke City, but they did not offer him a contract.
Time at Benfica
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On 1 December 2011, Lindelöf agreed to join the Portuguese club Benfica. He officially moved there in the summer of 2012. On 8 June 2015, he signed a new contract that would keep him at the club until 2020. In the 2012–13 season, he played for Benfica's youth team and won the Portuguese under-19 championship.
On 19 October 2013, he played his first game for Benfica's senior team. It was a 1–0 win against CD Cinfães in the Portuguese Cup. In the 2013–14 season, he scored 2 goals in 33 games for Benfica's reserve team.
During the 2015–16 season, he returned to the first team. He played in a 1–0 win against Nacional in the Portuguese League Cup. On 16 February 2016, he played the whole game for Benfica in a 1–0 home win against Zenit Saint Petersburg. This was in the UEFA Champions League's Round of 16. Four days later, he scored his first goal for Benfica. It was in a 3–1 league victory against Paços de Ferreira.
On 28 May 2017, he played in the Portuguese Cup final. Benfica won the match 2–1 against Vitória de Guimarães. By the time he left Benfica, he had won three Portuguese league titles, two Portuguese Cup titles, and one Portuguese League Cup title.
Joining Manchester United
2017–18 Season
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On 10 June 2017, Manchester United announced they would sign Lindelöf from Benfica. The transfer fee was €35 million. Lindelöf passed his medical exam on 14 June. He then signed a four-year contract with Manchester United. His contract officially started on 1 July.
He played his first official game for Manchester United against Real Madrid in the 2017 UEFA Super Cup. However, it took more than two months for him to play his first Premier League game. He came on as a substitute against Liverpool on 14 October. He played in only 17 league matches that season. This was because coach Jose Mourinho often preferred other defenders.
2018–19 Season
In the 2018–19 season, Lindelöf became a more regular player for Jose Mourinho. He played more often than in his first season. He played the full 90 minutes in the first match of the season against Leicester City. Manchester United won that game 2–1 at home. He started in 11 out of 13 league matches before Jose Mourinho was replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjær in December 2018. Lindelöf scored his first goal for Manchester United on 29 January 2019. It was the second goal in a 2–2 league draw at home against Burnley.
2019–20 Season
In September 2019, Lindelöf signed a new contract with Manchester United until 2024. On 1 December 2019, he played 90 minutes and scored his only goal of the season. This was in a league match against Aston Villa, which ended in a 2–2 draw. He finished the season with 35 appearances and one goal in the league. He formed a strong defensive partnership with Harry Maguire.
2020–21 Season
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On 20 December 2020, Lindelöf scored his first goal of the 2020–21 season. It was in a big 6–2 home win against Leeds United. On 2 February 2021, he played the full 90 minutes in Manchester United's record-equalling 9–0 home win against Southampton. On 26 May 2021, he played all 120 minutes in the 2021 UEFA Europa League final. Manchester United lost to Villarreal after a long penalty shootout. Lindelöf scored United's 10th penalty kick.
2022–23 Season
Lindelöf was mostly a backup player during this season. He supported main defenders Lisandro Martínez and Raphaël Varane. However, when both of them got injured in April, Lindelöf became a first-choice defender. He played the full 120 minutes in Manchester United's FA Cup semi-final victory against Brighton & Hove Albion on 23 April. He scored the winning penalty in the shootout, which ended 7–6 for United. This secured their place in the final against Manchester City. He also played in the FA Cup final on 3 June, which Manchester City won 2–1. At the end of the season, Lindelöf had the best pass completion rate in the league at 93.1%.
2023–24 Season
On 11 November 2023, Lindelöf scored his first goal for Manchester United since December 2020. It was in a 1–0 win over Luton Town at Old Trafford.
International Career
Youth Teams
Lindelöf first played for the Swedish under-21 team on 14 October 2014. This was in a qualification play-off game against France.
Even though he wasn't originally in the squad for the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, he joined the team on 15 June 2015. This was because another defender, Emil Krafth, had to leave due to injury. Lindelöf played his first game in the tournament against Italy. On 30 June 2015, he successfully scored Sweden's fifth and final penalty kick against Portugal. This led to a 4–3 penalty shootout victory in the final. Sweden became the European under-21 champions. Lindelöf was also named in the tournament's best team.
Senior National Team
First Game
Lindelöf was called up to the senior Sweden squad in March 2016. He played his first game for Sweden on 24 March 2016. It was a 2–1 loss away to Turkey.
UEFA Euro 2016
He was chosen for Sweden's squad for UEFA Euro 2016 in France. He started all three of their group games. However, Sweden did not make it past the group stage. Lindelöf was also selected for Sweden's team for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. But his club, Benfica, did not allow him to go. They believed it would affect their chances for the next season.
2018 FIFA World Cup
Lindelöf scored his first goal for Sweden in a 3–0 win over Bulgaria. This was during a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier on 10 October 2016.
In May 2018, he was named in Sweden's 23-man squad for the FIFA World Cup in Russia. Lindelöf missed the first game against South Korea because he was ill. But he was a regular starter in defense for the rest of the tournament. He played alongside fellow centre-back Andreas Granqvist. Lindelöf and Sweden were knocked out in the quarter-final by England.
UEFA Euro 2020
In March 2019, Lindelöf was called up for Sweden's UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying matches. However, he chose to withdraw from the squad for personal reasons. His first child was about to be born. Anton Tinnerholm replaced him.
He represented Sweden at UEFA Euro 2020. He played in all four games as Sweden reached the Round of 16. They were then eliminated by Ukraine.
On 11 August 2021, Lindelöf was named the new captain of the Swedish national team. This happened after Andreas Granqvist retired.
Personal Life
After moving to Manchester United in 2017, Lindelöf announced he was engaged to his long-time girlfriend, Maja Nilsson. They got married in Sweden at the end of May 2018. Their first son was born in March 2019. Their second son was born in October 2021.
In August 2020, while in his hometown, Lindelöf saw a 90-year-old woman being robbed by a man on a bike. Lindelöf chased the thief and managed to catch him. He held the thief until the police arrived. The police later thanked Lindelöf for his "quick and wise intervention."
Career Statistics
Club
| 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 | — | — | — | 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 | — | — | — | — | 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 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| Total | 183 | 4 | 22 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 268 | 4 | ||
| Career total | 377 | 10 | 29 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 57 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 488 | 10 | ||
International
| 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 | |
| Total | 70 | 3 | |
- As of match played 16 November 2024. 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
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; runner-up: 2017–18, 2022–23
- EFL Cup: 2022–23
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2020–21
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
