Sweden national under-21 football team

Sweden Under-21
NicknameBlågult (The Blue-Yellow)
AssociationSvenska Fotbollförbundet (SvFF)
ConfederationUEFA (Europe)
Head coachDaniel Bäckström
CaptainRoony Bardghji
Most capsOscar Hiljemark (37)
Top scorerCarlos Strandberg
Ola Toivonen (13)
First colours
Second colours
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)
 Sweden 0–6 Poland 
(Jönköping, Sweden; 14 October 2025)
UEFA U-21 Championship
Appearances9 (first in 1972)
Best resultChampions (2015)

The 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.

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.

Competitive record

  Champions    Runners-up    Third place    Fourth place   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 10 5 2 3 25 10
2027 To be determined 6 3 0 3 8 13
Total 1 title 9/28 34 14 9 11 50 40 211 114 41 56 406 223

Players

Current squad

The following 21 players were called up for the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification matches against North Macedonia and Armenia on 13 and 18 November 2025, respectively.[3]

Caps and goals updated as of 18 November 2025, after the match against Armenia.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Elis Bishesari (2005-05-19) 19 May 2005 10 0 IFK Göteborg
12 1GK André Picornell (2004-04-03) 3 April 2004 3 0 Gil Vicente
23 1GK Viktor Andersson (2004-03-30) 30 March 2004 2 0 IFK Värnamo

2 2DF Hampus Skoglund (2004-03-01) 1 March 2004 13 1 Hammarby IF
3 2DF Bleon Kurtulus (2007-06-24) 24 June 2007 7 0 Halmstads BK
4 2DF Nils Zätterström (2005-03-29) 29 March 2005 9 0 Sheffield United
5 2DF Matteo Pérez Vinlöf (2005-12-18) 18 December 2005 12 2 Dinamo Zagreb
13 2DF Peter Amoran (2004-05-22) 22 May 2004 4 1 Cesena
14 2DF Noah Tolf (2005-08-13) 13 August 2005 5 0 IFK Göteborg
15 2DF Olle Samuelsson (2004-05-16) 16 May 2004 2 0 BK Häcken
18 2DF Felix Eriksson (2004-05-21) 21 May 2004 2 0 IFK Göteborg

6 3MF Markus Karlsson (2004-01-20) 20 January 2004 11 0 Hammarby IF
8 3MF Lukas Björklund (vice-captain) (2004-02-16) 16 February 2004 12 2 IF Brommapojkarna
17 3MF Ludwig Małachowski Thorell (2005-02-25) 25 February 2005 4 0 Mjällby AIF
19 3MF Marcus Rafferty (2004-10-01) 1 October 2004 3 0 Degerfors IF
20 3MF Jardell Kanga (2005-12-13) 13 December 2005 3 0 Ilves

7 4FW Alieu Njie (2005-05-14) 14 May 2005 4 0 Torino
9 4FW Richie Omorowa (2004-03-30) 30 March 2004 11 5 Degerfors IF
10 4FW Jonah Kusi-Asare (2007-07-04) 4 July 2007 10 1 Fulham
11 4FW Momodou Sonko (2005-01-31) 31 January 2005 13 3 Gent
16 4FW Gottfrid Rapp (2005-08-18) 18 August 2005 5 0 IF Elfsborg

Recent call-ups

The following 32 players, born in 2004 or later, have previously been called up to the squad.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Simon Eriksson (2006-04-24) 24 April 2006 0 0 IF Elfsborg v.  Poland, 14 October 2025
GK Filip Sidklev (2005-03-12) 12 March 2005 2 0 Al Bidda v.  Republic of Ireland, 17 November 2024

DF Genesis Antwi (2007-05-11) 11 May 2007 3 0 Chelsea v.  Armenia, 18 November 2025 WD
DF Fredrik Nissen (2005-03-28) 28 March 2005 0 0 AIK v.  Armenia, 18 November 2025 WD
DF Elison Makolli (2005-01-10) 10 January 2005 4 0 AaB v.  Poland, 14 October 2025
DF Theo Bergvall (2004-09-21) 21 September 2004 1 0 Djurgårdens IF v.  Poland, 14 October 2025
DF Jonas Rouhi (2004-01-07) 7 January 2004 15 1 Juventus v.  Montenegro, 9 September 2025
DF Malcolm Jeng (2005-03-09) 9 March 2005 3 0 Feyenoord v.  Croatia, 10 June 2025
DF John Mellberg (2006-07-30) 30 July 2006 1 0 Red Bull Salzburg v.  Croatia, 10 June 2025 WD
DF Moutaz Neffati TUN (2004-09-04) 4 September 2004 1 0 IFK Norrköping v.  Croatia, 10 June 2025

MF Amin Boudri (2004-09-29) 29 September 2004 9 1 GAIS v.  Armenia, 18 November 2025 WD
MF Williot Swedberg (2004-02-01) 1 February 2004 11 2 Celta Vigo v.  Poland, 14 October 2025
MF Adrian Skogmar (2005-11-23) 23 November 2005 2 0 Malmö FF v.  Poland, 14 October 2025 WD
MF Pontus Dahbo (2005-10-11) 11 October 2005 6 0 BK Häcken v.  Croatia, 10 June 2025
MF Wilmer Odefalk (2004-11-21) 21 November 2004 6 0 Pafos v.  Croatia, 10 June 2025
MF Isak Alemayehu (2006-10-11) 11 October 2006 1 0 Queens Park Rangers v.  Croatia, 10 June 2025
MF Lukas Kjellnäs (2004-06-20) 20 June 2004 2 0 Helsingborgs IF v.  Wales, 23 March 2025
MF Zakaria Loukili (2006-01-25) 25 January 2006 2 0 Varbergs BoIS v.  Wales, 23 March 2025
MF Demirel Hodžić (2005-03-08) 8 March 2005 2 0 Milan Futuro v.  Republic of Ireland, 17 November 2024
MF Lucas Bergvall (2006-02-02) 2 February 2006 5 1 Tottenham Hotspur v.  Croatia, 11 June 2024 WD
MF Hugo Larsson (2004-06-27) 27 June 2004 3 1 Eintracht Frankfurt v.  North Macedonia, 8 September 2023

FW Isak Brusberg (2006-09-05) 5 September 2006 0 0 BK Häcken v.  Armenia, 18 November 2025 WD
FW Leo Östman (2006-03-15) 15 March 2006 0 0 IF Elfsborg v.  Armenia, 18 November 2025 WD
FW Amar Fatah (2004-02-19) 19 February 2004 7 0 Dundee United v.  Poland, 14 October 2025 WD
FW Taha Ayari (2005-05-10) 10 May 2005 2 0 AIK v.  Poland, 14 October 2025
FW Roony Bardghji (captain) (2005-11-15) 15 November 2005 12 3 Barcelona v.  Montenegro, 9 September 2025
FW Jeremy Agbonifo (2005-10-24) 24 October 2005 8 2 Basel v.  Montenegro, 9 September 2025
FW Victor Andersson (2004-10-22) 22 October 2004 2 0 AIK v.  Croatia, 10 June 2025 WD
FW Kenan Bilalović (2005-06-22) 22 June 2005 2 0 Aberdeen v.  Croatia, 10 June 2025
FW Elias Pihlström (2006-08-31) 31 August 2006 2 0 Lugano v.  Wales, 23 March 2025
FW August Ljungberg (2005-05-13) 13 May 2005 1 0 IK Sirius v.  Republic of Ireland, 17 November 2024
FW Deniz Gül TUR (2004-07-02) 2 July 2004 6 2 Porto v.  Netherlands, 14 October 2024

Notes
  • WD = Player withdrew from the squad
  • TUN = Switched to Tunisia national team
  • TUR = Switched to Turkey national team

Previous squads

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

Top 10 goalscorers

# 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

See also

References

  1. ^ "EM-guld efter straffdrama!" (in Swedish). Svenskfotboll. Archived from the original on 1 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  2. ^ "EM-sorti på straffar efter mirakelvändning" (in Swedish). Svenskfotboll. Archived from the original on 29 June 2009. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
  3. ^ "U21-landslagets novembertrupp" (in Swedish). Swedish Football Association. 5 November 2025. Retrieved 5 November 2025.