10 Of The Greatest Swedish Footballers In History

Who is the greatest Swedish footballer of all time?

Sweden has always been one of the best countries in Europe for developing young, talented soccer players, with well-structured leagues that have always favored enhancing youth players.

While developing talents from within has always been the undisputed process of breeding world-class players that would go on to take the footballing world by storm. Sweden, a Scandinavian country of over 10 million people has been able to painstakingly do that with aplomb despite its smaller population compared to other European countries.

There are significant benefits to championing from within; the costs are significantly lower than spending for overly expensive players, and when a young player shines, teams from economically developed leagues such as the Premier League or Serie A frequently come calling.

The best players from Sweden have often had absolutely stellar careers with the top clubs in Europe. They are renowned for their excellent ball skills, and strong work ethic and many consistently have remarkable successful careers.

10 Of The Greatest Swedish Footballers Of All Time

Thomas Ravelli

Ravelli will be remembered for his golden saved at the 1994 World Cup quarter-finals clash against a Romania team led by the fascinating Gheorghe Hagi where he saved two penalties.

He remains the most capped goalkeeper for the Blue and Yellow with 143 games and also had a decent club career with Osters IF, Gotenborg, and Tampa Bay in the United States before he retired.

Ravelli’s longevity was well renowned that he featured for the Blagult at three major tournaments at the 1990 and 1994 World Cup, including his greatest performance in the shirt of Sweden at the 1992 European Championship where he played an instrumental role in Sweden’s quest in finishing third at the tournament.

Jesper Blomqvist

The 1996 fan player of the year and midfielder of the year also makes our list as one of Sweden’s greatest footballers in the history of the Scandinavian country.

His football career will be fondly remembered as a Manchester United player where he was part of the iconic team that won the treble in 1999, consisting of the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Blomqvist’s international career wasn’t as successful as that of his club career, however, he was pivotal in Sweden’s World Cup quest in the United States where they finished third against all odds.

Olof Mellberg

Sweden is not known for producing tough tackling defenders, but in Mellberg, they had a rugged and ruthless center-back who was rock solid for the ‘Blue and Yellow’ during his days.

Mellberg is also well renowned at Villa Park for his dedication, loyalty, and longevity at Aston Villa as one of Sweden’s finest imports to play in the English Premier League with 232 league appearances and eight goals for the Midland club.

As a center back your primary assignment is protecting your team from conceding, as such the bearded center-back did that with aplomb accumulating 117 caps and eight goals for Sweden before he retired in 2012.

Thomas Brolin

Brolin is unarguably one of the most fascinating players that came out of the Scandinavian country for his incredible finesse on the ball and how technically superb he was on the ball.

The two-time Swedish best player of the year was a superstar beyond his failures. He will remember for singlehandedly propelling the Blue and Yellow to the semi-finals of the 1992 UEFA European Championship against England with his two goals in front of the home crowds in a game legendary football commentator Martin Tyler described his goal as “Absolutely Glorious“.

Brolin was so good that Sweden often relied on him to conjure magical moments for the team, which he often does, but unfortunately, he couldn’t reach his full potential due to injuries that made him retire at the age of 28 with 27 goals and 47 caps.

Gunnar Gren

Rossoneri’s first real golden generation in the 50s was all about the tridents Swedish-born superstars that invaded the Calcio with their marauding breathtaking football skills and amongst them is Gunnar Gren.

Gren is regarded as one of the greatest Swedish footballers of all time and the all-time fifth goal-scorer for the Blagult with 32 goals and 57 caps throughout his international career for the Scandinavian country.

Winning gold and leading Sweden to a second-place finish at the 1958 World and 1948 Olympics respectively give credence to the illustrious career he had with the Blue and Yellow which made him stand among the greatest Swedish footballers in history.

Gunnar Nordahl

Gunner Nordahl is Sweden’s third all-time top goal-scorer with 43 goals and 33 caps for the Blagults in a national team career that didn’t last long as he would have liked to play for the team.

One of the ‘Gre-No-Li’ trio who formed the spine of the Milan side that went on to win the Scudetto in 1951 was no doubt the first Swedish poster boy to go have a feel of other leagues in a foreign land.

Nordahl who is referred to as “II Cannoniere (The Gunnar) or II Bistone” (The Bison) amongst the Rossoneri fans for his deadly finishing in front of goal rose to the pinnacle of his career in the Milan shirt as one of the fascinating imports that ever graced the Serie A.

Nils Liedholm

Before Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Serie A witnessed the raw talent of a tall and handsome Swede nordic superstar called Liedholm, who invaded the Calcio with his marauding breathtaking skills and talent alongside the well renowned ‘Gre-No-Li’ tridents in Italy and Swedish history.

Liedholm was an intelligent offensive playmaker who was renowned for his impeccable passing skills and excellent eyes for goals in the opponent’s box throughout his playing career both for the Sweden national team and Milan.

He was so good as a player that he was voted the best Swedish player of the millennium at the end of the 20th century by the readers of Sweden’s largest newspaper ‘Aftonbladet’ which further inked his name in the history of the country as one of the best.

Fredrik Ljungberg

Ljungberg a former Arsenal legend who is well renowned for his ‘Pink Mohawk’ hair, he’s without doubt one of the undisputed finest Swedish footballers English football sees with his talent.

The footballer cum model was one of the important stars in Arsenal’s famous invincible team in the 2003-04 campaign that took the Premier League by storm with their fascinating style of play alongside Robert Pires et al.

Ljungberg earned 216 caps and 75 for both Arsenal and Sweden respectively, inking his name in the history of both teams as a great player that could stand toe-to-toe with the best football wingers during his era.

Henrik Larsson

Helsingborg, Feyenoord, Celtic, Barcelona, and Manchester United were the teams that enjoyed the brilliant and fascinating talent of the dreadlock king from Sweden during his footballing years.

Larsson was molded into a quality striker in the Netherlands, but became one of the deadliest forward at Celtic where he’s seen as a cult hero for how he ran the Scottish league with his goals and breathtaking performances that got him scored 174 goals in 221 appearances.

His illustrious career with the Blue and Yellow produced 37 goals in 106 caps in an era where the destiny of the Scandinavian country lies on his shoulder for success in football world.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Ibrahimovic, a self-acclaimed football god and Swedish footballer is no doubt the most famous, enigmatic and entertaining Swede to ever play the round leather game.

Ibra just like some fans likes to call him possess an amazing charisma and skills that stands him out amongst his colleagues in world football that got some hate and adore him for his quality on the pitch.

The outspoken and sometimes arrogant striker is Sweden’s all-time scorer with 62 goals and 121 caps for the Blagult, and still playing at the highest level with Milan and as a matter of fact he’s not looking like his going to retire soon at 37.

FAQ

Are Sweden a good team?

With 12 World Cup appearances and 3 Olympic medals, Sweden has a strong track record in international football. When Sweden was the host nation at the 1958 World Cup, it placed second after losing to Brazil 5-2 in the championship match. In 1950 and 1994, Sweden came in third place twice as well.

Has Sweden ever won the FIFA World Cup?

NO

They actually reached the final in the 1958 World Cup when they hosted the competition. They lost 5–2 to Brazil. And they also were losing semi-finalists in 1994.

Who is the best Swedish footballer ever?

• Freddie Ljungberg.
• Tomas Brolin.
• Henrik Larsson.
• Gunnar Nordahl.
• Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Who is the most famous soccer player in Sweden?

• Gunnar Nordahl (1921 – 1995) With an HPI of 68.58, Gunnar Nordahl is the most famous Soccer Player.
• Zlatan Ibrahimović (1981 – ) With an HPI of 67.02, Zlatan Ibrahimović is the 2nd most famous Soccer Player.
• Nils Liedholm (1922 – 2007) With an HPI of 62.44, Nils Liedholm is the 3rd most famous Soccer Player
• Gunnar Gren (1920 – 1991) With an HPI of 61.02, Gunnar Gren is the 4th most famous Soccer Player.
• Kurt Hamrin (1934 – ) With an HPI of 60.00, Kurt Hamrin is the 5th most famous Soccer Player.

How many football clubs are in sweden?

The Allsvenskan, which is the top level of the league pyramid, was established in 1924, with Sweden serving as the host nation for all domestic matches. This league is governed by UEFA, and it currently features 16 different football teams.

What is the biggest football club in Sweden?

AIK, IFK Göteborg, and Malmö FF are referred to as “The Big Three” in Swedish football and Allsvenskan. They are widely regarded as the three largest clubs in Sweden, representing the three largest cities (Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö).

How many football clubs are there in Stockholm?

39 teams

Football in Stockholm has approximately 60,000 players and has been governed by the Stockholm Football Association since 1917. Stockholm is home to several of Sweden’s top football clubs, as well as 39 teams in the national league system and over 100 amateur leagues governed by the Stockholm Football Association.

What is the name of Sweden’s soccer team?

svenska fotbollslandslaget

Sweden’s national football team (Svenska fotbollslandslaget) represents Sweden in men’s international football and is managed by the Swedish Football Association, the country’s governing body of football. Sweden’s home stadium is Friends Arena in Solna.

How many professional soccer teams are in Sweden?

32 clubs

The Swedish Professional Football Leagues is a non-profit organization that represents the 32 clubs in the top two divisions of the Swedish Football League System, with the goal of promoting social inclusion and equality.

What is the structure of the Swedish football league?

The current national league system is organized as 1-1-2-6-12, with Allsvenskan being the highest Swedish level and Superettan being the second highest, followed by two third level (Division 1), six fourth level (Division 2), and twelve fifth level leagues (Division 3).

How can I watch Allsvenskan in the US?

• DIRECTV STREAM.
• ESPN2.
• FS1.
• Sling Orange.
• USA Network.

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