Sweden national under-21 football team
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Article ImagesThe Sweden national under-21 football team is the football team representing Sweden in competitions for under-21 year old players and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association. Primarily, it competes to qualify for the biennial UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
Nickname(s) | Blågult (The Blue-Yellow) | ||
---|---|---|---|
Association | Svenska Fotbollförbundet (SvFF) | ||
Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
Head coach | Daniel Bäckström | ||
Captain | Oliver Dovin | ||
Most caps | Oscar Hiljemark (37) | ||
Top scorer | Carlos Strandberg Ola Toivonen (13) | ||
| |||
First international | |||
Denmark 3–2 Sweden (Esbjerg, Denmark; 22 June 1952) | |||
Biggest win | |||
Sweden 10–0 Armenia (Lublin, Poland; 13 October 2020) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
Ukraine 6–0 Sweden (Kyiv, Ukraine; 31 May 2012) | |||
UEFA U-21 Championship | |||
Appearances | 9 (first in 1972) | ||
Best result | Champions (2015) |
Sweden made their first European Under-21 Championship appearance in 1986. In 2015, Sweden became champions for the first time.[1] They finished second in 1992 and they also reached the semi-finals in 1990 and 2009.[2] Oscar Hiljemark is the most capped player for the Swedish U21 team, having played 37 caps between 2011 and 2015. Ola Toivonen and Carlos Strandberg are the top goalscorers for the Swedish U21 team, having scored 13 goals each.
Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place 0000 Tournament held on home soil
UEFA European U-21 Championship
UEFA European Under-21 Championship record | UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification record | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
1972 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 | |
1974 | Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | ||||||||
1976 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | |||||||||
1978 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | |||||||||
1980 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||
1982 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |||||||||
1984 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 | |||||||||
1986 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | |
1988 | Did not qualify | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 6 | ||||||||
1990 | Semi-finals | 3rd | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 2 | |
1992 | Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 3 | |
1994 | Did not qualify | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 8 | ||||||||
1996 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 4 | |||||||||
1998 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 30 | 6 | |
2000 | Did not qualify | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 15 | ||||||||
2002 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 22 | 10 | |||||||||
2004 | Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 14 | |
2006 | Did not qualify | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 16 | 12 | ||||||||
2007 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 6 | |||||||||
2009 | Semi-finals | 3rd | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 7 | Qualified as hosts | ||||||
2011 | Did not qualify | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 10 | ||||||||
2013 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 14 | |||||||||
2015 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 24 | 17 | |
2017 | Group stage | 9th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 7 | |
2019 | Did not qualify | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 8 | ||||||||
2021 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 28 | 12 | |||||||||
2023 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 22 | 8 | |||||||||
2025 | To be determined | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 5 | ||||||||
Total | 1 title | 9/27 | 34 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 50 | 40 | 203 | 110 | 41 | 52 | 395 | 205 |
The following 23 players have been called up for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification matches against Gibraltar and Moldova on 6 and 10 September 2024, respectively.[3]
Caps and goals updated as of 10 September 2024.
The following 45 players are still eligible for the U21 team (i.e. born in 2002 or later) and have previously been called up to the squad.
Players with most caps and goals
Updated as of 7 June 2018. Note that the matches played by Sweden Olympic football team in 1992 and 2016 are included here, as the Swedish Football Association recognizes them as Under-21 matches.
Top 10 most capped players
# | Player | Career | Caps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Oscar Hiljemark | 2011–2015 | 37 | 4 |
2 | Alexander Farnerud | 2002–2006 | 36 | 12 |
3 | Jonny Rödlund | 1990–1993 | 35 | 11 |
4 | Simon Tibbling | 2012–2017 | 33 | 2 |
5 | Magnus Johansson | 1990–1993 | 32 | 0 |
6 | Mikael Dorsin | 2000–2004 | 31 | 1 |
Mattias Bjärsmyr | 2005–2009 | 31 | 0 | |
8 | Johan Elmander | 2000–2004 | 30 | 12 |
Tommy Jönsson | 1995–1998 | 30 | 2 | |
Sven Andersson | 1981–1986 | 30 | 0 |
# | Player | Career | Goals | Caps |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Carlos Strandberg | 2015–2018 | 13 | 18 |
Ola Toivonen | 2006–2009 | 13 | 28 | |
3 | Pär-Olof Ohlsson | 1972–1977 | 12 | 19 |
John Guidetti | 2010–2015 | 12 | 23 | |
Johan Elmander | 2000–2004 | 12 | 30 | |
Alexander Farnerud | 2002–2006 | 12 | 36 | |
7 | Mikael Ishak | 2012–2016 | 11 | 27 |
Jonny Rödlund | 1990–1993 | 11 | 35 | |
9 | Niklas Skoog | 1994–1995 | 10 | 14 |
10 | Tord Grip | 1958–1961 | 9 | 10 |
Lasse Larsson | 1982–1987 | 9 | 10 |
- ^ "EM-guld efter straffdrama!" (in Swedish). Svenskfotboll. Archived from the original on 1 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
- ^ "EM-sorti på straffar efter mirakelvändning" (in Swedish). Svenskfotboll. Archived from the original on 29 June 2009. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
- ^ "Truppen till EM-kvalmatcherna i september" (in Swedish). Swedish Football Association. 28 August 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2024.