Association football () is the most popular sport in Sweden, with over 240,000 licensed players (approximately 56,000 women and 184,000 men) with another 240,000 youth players. There are around 3,200 active clubs fielding over 8,500 teams, which are playing on the 7,900 pitches available in the country. Approximately 60% of the Swedish people are interested in football.

Football was first played in Sweden in the 1870s, the first championship was decided in 1896 and the Swedish Football Association was founded in 1904. Despite being a relatively small country population-wise, both the men's and women's national teams and the club teams have gained rather large success from time to time.

History

Football, along with other organised sports, came to Sweden in the 1870s and was mainly exercised by gymnastics clubs which exercised most of the sports of the time. England and Scotland were the main sources of inspiration and it is thus not strange that football gained popularity fast, with the first agreement of rules made in 1885 by the clubs active in Gothenburg, Stockholm and Visby. The first international club match was played in 1890 and the first match with modern rules was played two years later in 1892.

The first association to administer a Swedish national football tournament was Svenska Idrottsförbundet, founded 1895 in Gothenburg, the dominating football town in Sweden, at the time. The association arranged Svenska Mästerskapet in 1896 which Örgryte IS won. The tournament was played until 1925 when the first national league, Allsvenskan, was started. In the late 1890s, the IFK associations began playing football, and by 1901, the first Kamratmästerskap (IFK championship) in football was arranged.

Football has grown since and there is currently around 3,300 clubs with 32,700 teams and with one million members, whereof about half a million are active players, altogether.

League system

The current national league system administered by the football association is organised as 1-1-2-6-12, where Allsvenskan is the highest Swedish level and Superettan the second highest, followed by two third level (Division 1), six fourth level (Division 2) and twelve fifth level leagues (Division 3). Below Division 3 are several lower leagues, in some areas going all the way down to the ninth level, (Division 7), or in the case of Upplands FF, the tenth level (Division 8), overseen by regional football associations.

Cup system

The national cup Svenska Cupen is played by all 32 teams from Allsvenskan and Superettan and 64 teams from the lower divisions. Which 64 teams from the lower divisions that get to play is decided by the number of licensed players in the football districts.

International titles

The Sweden men's national football team played its first international football match in 1908 against Norway. The team has been fairly successful with one 2nd place in the 1958 World Cup, two third places (1950 and 1994) and a victory in the 1948 Summer Olympics. The Sweden women's national football team was once leading in the development of women's football and won the unofficial European Championships in 1984, a success the team has not managed to repeat, however, it won a silver in the 2003 World Cup.

Swedish clubs have appeared in European club competition finals 10 times. In men's football, IFK Göteborg won the UEFA Cup twice, 1982 and 1987, and Malmö FF lost the European Cup final in 1979. In the women's game, Umeå IK won the UEFA Women's Cup twice, in 2003 and 2004, and lost in the final in 2001, 2007 and 2008; Djurgårdens IF Dam (then known as Djurgården/Älvsjö) lost in the final in 2005; and Tyresö FF lost in the final of the renamed UEFA Women's Champions League in 2014.

Seasons

Swedish football began to have regular seasons from 1924 on, when Allsvenskan started. Before that, tournaments were played irregularly. Svenska Mästerskapet for example, the decider of the Swedish Champions in the early years, was played spring-autumn, while Svenska Serien, the national league, was played autumn-spring. Some years, it was played spring-autumn-spring due to various reasons, and other years it was not played at all due to economical trouble. In 1959, Swedish football changed from autumn-spring to spring-autumn seasons. Allsvenskan has not been suspended any season since its start.

The last five seasons: 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Swedish champions

The current Swedish Champions title is held by the winners of Allsvenskan. The title has existed since 1896, although no club was given the title between 1926 and 1930. The 117 championships have been won by 19 different football clubs so far, with the top four title holders being Malmö FF (20 titles), IFK Göteborg (18 titles), IFK Norrköping (13 titles) and Örgryte IS (12). Clubs from the three largest cities in Sweden, Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö have held the title the majority of the seasons, 78 in total, but there is also an example of a very small municipality being able to field a club capable of winning the title, as Åtvidabergs FF from Åtvidaberg held the title twice, in 1972 and 1973.

The last five holders of the title: 2014 – Malmö FF 2015 – IFK Norrköping 2016 – Malmö FF 2017 – Malmö FF 2018 – AIK 2019 – Djurgårdens IF 2020 – Malmö FF

Women's football

Competition records European Cup The following teams have advanced to elimination rounds in the European Cup. Runner-up: Malmö FF (1978–79) Semi-finals: IFK Göteborg (1985–86) Quarter-finals: Djurgården (1955–56), IFK Malmö (1960–61), Åtvidabergs FF (1974–75), IFK Göteborg (1984–85, 1988–89)

UEFA Champions League The following teams have advanced to elimination rounds in the UEFA Champions League. Quarter-finals: IFK Göteborg (1994–95) Group Stage: IFK Göteborg (1992–93, 1996–97, 1997–98), AIK (1999–2000), Helsingborgs IF (2000–01), Malmö FF (2014–15, 2015–16, 2021-2021)

UEFA Cup The following teams have advanced to elimination rounds in the UEFA Cup. Champions: IFK Göteborg (1981–82, 1986–87) Round of 32: Helsingborgs IF (2007–08)

UEFA Europa League The following teams have advanced to elimination rounds in the UEFA Europa League. Round of 32: Östersund (2017–18), Malmö FF (2018–19, 2019–20)

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

The following teams have advanced to elimination rounds in the UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup

Quarter-finals: Malmö FF (1974-1975, 1986-1987), IFK Göteborg (1979-1980), AIK (1996-1997), Åtvidabergs FF (1971-1972),

UEFA Women's Champions League The following teams have advanced to elimination rounds in the UEFA Women's Champions League or its predecessor, the UEFA Women's Cup.

Club names are current, not necessarily those used when a club competed in a given season. Champions: Umeå IK (2003, 2004) Runner-up: Umeå IK (2002, 2007, 2008) Djurgårdens IF Dam (2005) Tyresö FF (2014) Semi-finals: FC Rosengård (2004) Umeå IK (2010) Quarter-finals: Umeå IK (2005, 2009) Djurgårdens IF Dam (2006) Linköpings FC (2011, 2015) Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC (2012, 2013) FC Rosengård (2012, 2013, 2015, 2016) Round of 16: Linköpings FC (2010) FC Rosengård (2014) KIF Örebro DFF (2016)

Largest football stadiums in Sweden

Football stadiums with a capacity of at least 20,000 are included.

Overall Rank Image Stadium Capacity Club Division Rank in Respective Divisions Ref1Strawberry Arena 50,653 Sweden men's national football team National stadium N/A AIK Allsvenskan 1 2Tele2 Arena 30,000 Djurgårdens IF Allsvenskan 2 Hammarby Allsvenskan 2 3 Stadion 21,000 Malmö FF Allsvenskan 3Malmö FF The Swedish FA. Accessed 30 March 2012

Attendances

The average attendance per top-flight football league season and the club with the highest average attendance:

Season League average Best club Best club average 2025 30,024 AIK 30,024 2024 28,589 AIK 28,589 2023 25,740 AIK 25,740 2022 26,372 Hammarby IF 26,372 2021 — — — 2020 — — — 2019 24,232 Hammarby IF 24,232 2018 23,680 Hammarby IF 23,680 2017 22,137 Hammarby IF 22,137 2016 22,885 Hammarby IF 22,885 2015 25,507 Hammarby IF 25,507 2014 16,446 AIK 16,446 2013 18,900 AIK 18,900 2012 14,799 Malmö FF 14,799 2011 13,865 AIK 13,865 2010 15,194 Malmö FF 15,194 2009 17,436 AIK 17,436 2008 15,535 AIK 15,535 2007 20,465 AIK 20,465 2006 21,434 AIK 21,434 2005 15,962 Malmö FF 15,962 2004 20,061 Malmö FF 20,061 2003 18,700 Malmö FF 18,700 2002 16,551 AIK 16,551 2001 15,496 AIK 15,496 2000 14,402 AIK 14,402 1999 13,549 AIK 13,549 1998 11,112 AIK 11,112 1997 9,159 Helsingborgs IF 9,159 1996 9,671 Helsingborgs IF 9,671 1995 10,940 Helsingborgs IF 10,940 1994 8,337 Helsingborgs IF 8,337 1993 10,081 Helsingborgs IF 10,081 1992 6,197 IFK Göteborg 6,197 1991 6,933 AIK 6,933 1990 5,811 IFK Göteborg 5,811 1989 5,898 Örebro SK 5,898 1988 7,857 IFK Göteborg 7,857 1987 6,911 IFK Göteborg 6,911 1986 7,822 IFK Göteborg 7,822 1985 9,481 IFK Göteborg 9,481 1984 10,283 IFK Göteborg 10,283 1983 9,912 Hammarby IF 9,912 1982 8,905 Hammarby IF 8,905 1981 12,627 IFK Göteborg 12,627 1980 12,273 IFK Göteborg 12,273 1979 15,622 IFK Göteborg 15,622 1978 16,456 IFK Göteborg 16,456 1977 23,796 IFK Göteborg 23,796 1976 11,186 Malmö FF 11,186 1975 11,474 Malmö FF 11,474 1974 10,422 AIK 10,422 1973 10,372 GAIS 10,372 1972 12,036 AIK 12,036 1971 16,383 Malmö FF 16,383 1970 13,036 Malmö FF 13,036 1969 18,997 IFK Göteborg 18,997 1968 15,492 Östers IF 15,492 1967 13,419 Malmö FF 13,419 1966 13,369 IFK Göteborg 13,369 1965 15,817 AIK 15,817 1964 18,529 Örgryte IS 18,529 1963 17,624 AIK 17,624 1962 18,924 IFK Göteborg 18,924 1961 19,959 IFK Göteborg 19,959 1960 19,097 Örgryte IS 19,097 1959 25,490 Örgryte IS 25,490 1957-58 16,298 IFK Göteborg 16,298 1956-57 15,559 IFK Göteborg 15,559 1955-56 17,402 AIK 17,402 1954-55 19,010 Djurgårdens IF 19,010 1953-54 20,746 AIK 20,746 1952-53 14,860 Djurgårdens IF 14,860 1951-52 17,584 IFK Göteborg 17,584 1950-51 18,902 Djurgårdens IF 18,902 1949-50 21,755 AIK 21,755 1948-49 19,636 AIK 19,636 1947-48 19,184 AIK 19,184 1946-47 19,949 AIK 19,949 1945-46 15,376 AIK 15,376 1944-45 11,322 IFK Göteborg 11,322 1943-44 14,234 AIK 14,234 1942-43 10,058 AIK 10,058 1941-42 9,692 IFK Göteborg 9,692 1940-41 8,708 AIK 8,708 1939-40 8,291 AIK 8,291 1938-39 12,609 AIK 12,609 1937-38 17,196 AIK 17,196 1936-37 14,948 AIK 14,948 1935-36 15,198 AIK 15,198 1934-35 15,329 AIK 15,329 1933-34 14,553 AIK 14,553 1932-33 15,942 AIK 15,942 1931-32 17,728 AIK 17,728 1930-31 15,856 AIK 15,856 1929-30 15,997 AIK 15,997 1928-29 9,513 IFK Göteborg 9,513 1927-28 8,218 Örgryte IS 8,218 1926-27 8,211 IFK Göteborg 8,211 1925-26 6,889 Örgryte IS 6,889 1924-25 6,299 Örgryte IS 6,299

Source:

See also Football in Stockholm List of football stadiums in Sweden

Notes

References Print

Online

External links

Swedish Football Association