Sweden national under-21 football team

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 Under-21

Nickname(s)	Blågult (The Blue-Yellow)
Association	Svenska Fotbollförbundet (SvFF)
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Daniel Bäckström
Captain	Lukas Björklund
Most caps	Oscar Hiljemark (37)
Top scorer	Carlos 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)
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.

Competitive record

  Champions    Runners-up    Third place    Fourth place  0000 Tournament held on home soil  

Sweden national under-21 football team celebrating in June 2015, after winning the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

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									To be determined
Total	1 title	9/28	34	14	9	11	50	40		205	111	41	53	398	210

Players

Current squad

The following 23 players have been called up for the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification matches against Armenia and Montenegro on 5 and 9 September 2025, respectively.^[3]

Caps and goals updated as of 10 June 2025.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
	1GK	Elis Bishesari	(2005-05-19) 19 May 2005 (age 20)	5	0	IFK Göteborg
	1GK	André Picornell	(2004-04-03) 3 April 2004 (age 21)	2	0	Gil Vicente
	1GK	Simon Eriksson	(2006-04-24) 24 April 2006 (age 19)	0	0	IF Elfsborg
	2DF	Jonas Rouhi	(2004-01-07) 7 January 2004 (age 21)	13	1	Juventus
	2DF	Hampus Skoglund	(2004-03-01) 1 March 2004 (age 21)	9	1	Hammarby IF
	2DF	Matteo Pérez Vinlöf	(2005-12-18) 18 December 2005 (age 19)	6	2	Dinamo Zagreb
	2DF	Elison Makolli	(2005-01-10) 10 January 2005 (age 20)	3	0	AaB
	2DF	Nils Zätterström	(2005-03-29) 29 March 2005 (age 20)	3	0	Sheffield United
	2DF	Noah Tolf	(2005-08-13) 13 August 2005 (age 20)	2	0	IFK Göteborg
	2DF	Bleon Kurtulus	(2007-06-24) 24 June 2007 (age 18)	1	0	Halmstads BK
	2DF	Genesis Antwi	(2007-05-11) 11 May 2007 (age 18)	0	0	Chelsea
	3MF	Williot Swedberg	(2004-02-01) 1 February 2004 (age 21)	7	2	Celta Vigo
	3MF	Lukas Björklund (captain)	(2004-02-16) 16 February 2004 (age 21)	6	2	Sønderjyske
	3MF	Markus Karlsson	(2004-01-20) 20 January 2004 (age 21)	6	0	Hammarby IF
	3MF	Amin Boudri	(2004-09-29) 29 September 2004 (age 20)	4	0	GAIS
	3MF	Adrian Skogmar	(2005-11-23) 23 November 2005 (age 19)	2	0	Malmö FF
	3MF	Ludwig Małachowski Thorell	(2005-02-25) 25 February 2005 (age 20)	1	0	Mjällby AIF
	4FW	Roony Bardghji	(2005-11-15) 15 November 2005 (age 19)	10	2	Barcelona Atlètic
	4FW	Momodou Sonko	(2005-01-31) 31 January 2005 (age 20)	7	1	Gent
	4FW	Richie Omorowa	(2004-03-30) 30 March 2004 (age 21)	6	3	Degerfors IF
	4FW	Jeremy Agbonifo	(2005-10-24) 24 October 2005 (age 19)	6	1	Basel
	4FW	Amar Fatah	(2004-02-19) 19 February 2004 (age 21)	6	0	Dundee United
	4FW	Jonah Kusi-Asare	(2007-07-04) 4 July 2007 (age 18)	4	0	Bayern Munich

Recent call-ups

The following 24 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	Viktor Andersson	(2004-03-30) 30 March 2004 (age 21)	2	0	IFK Värnamo	v.  Wales, 23 March 2025
GK	Filip Sidklev	(2005-03-12) 12 March 2005 (age 20)	2	0	Al Bidda	v.  Republic of Ireland, 17 November 2024
DF	Peter Amoran	(2004-05-22) 22 May 2004 (age 21)	4	1	Cesena	v.  Croatia, 10 June 2025
DF	Malcolm Jeng	(2005-03-09) 9 March 2005 (age 20)	3	0	Reims	v.  Croatia, 10 June 2025
DF	John Mellberg	(2006-07-30) 30 July 2006 (age 19)	1	0	Red Bull Salzburg	v.  Croatia, 10 June 2025 WD
DF	Moutaz Neffati TUN	(2004-09-04) 4 September 2004 (age 20)	1	0	IFK Norrköping	v.  Croatia, 10 June 2025
DF	Felix Eriksson	(2004-05-21) 21 May 2004 (age 21)	1	0	IFK Göteborg	v.  Wales, 23 March 2025
MF	Wilmer Odefalk	(2004-11-21) 21 November 2004 (age 20)	6	0	IF Brommapojkarna	v.  Croatia, 10 June 2025
MF	Marcus Rafferty	(2004-10-01) 1 October 2004 (age 20)	2	0	Degerfors IF	v.  Croatia, 10 June 2025 WD
MF	Isak Alemayehu	(2006-10-11) 11 October 2006 (age 18)	1	0	Djurgårdens IF	v.  Croatia, 10 June 2025
MF	Lukas Kjellnäs	(2004-06-20) 20 June 2004 (age 21)	2	0	Helsingborgs IF	v.  Wales, 23 March 2025
MF	Zakaria Loukili	(2006-01-25) 25 January 2006 (age 19)	2	0	Varbergs BoIS	v.  Wales, 23 March 2025
MF	Demirel Hodžić	(2005-03-08) 8 March 2005 (age 20)	2	0	Milan Futuro	v.  Republic of Ireland, 17 November 2024
MF	Lucas Bergvall	(2006-02-02) 2 February 2006 (age 19)	5	1	Tottenham Hotspur	v.  Croatia, 11 June 2024 WD
MF	Hugo Larsson	(2004-06-27) 27 June 2004 (age 21)	3	1	Eintracht Frankfurt	v.  North Macedonia, 8 September 2023
FW	Pontus Dahbo	(2005-10-11) 11 October 2005 (age 19)	6	0	BK Häcken	v.  Croatia, 10 June 2025
FW	Victor Andersson	(2004-10-22) 22 October 2004 (age 20)	2	0	AIK	v.  Croatia, 10 June 2025 WD
FW	Kenan Bilalović	(2005-06-22) 22 June 2005 (age 20)	2	0	Aberdeen	v.  Croatia, 10 June 2025
FW	Gottfrid Rapp	(2005-08-18) 18 August 2005 (age 20)	4	0	IF Elfsborg	v.  Wales, 23 March 2025
FW	Elias Pihlström	(2006-08-31) 31 August 2006 (age 18)	2	0	Lugano	v.  Wales, 23 March 2025
FW	August Ljungberg	(2005-05-13) 13 May 2005 (age 20)	1	0	IK Sirius	v.  Republic of Ireland, 17 November 2024
FW	Alieu Njie	(2005-05-14) 14 May 2005 (age 20)	0	0	Torino	v.  Republic of Ireland, 17 November 2024 WD
FW	Deniz Gül TUR	(2004-07-02) 2 July 2004 (age 21)	6	2	Porto	v.  Netherlands, 14 October 2024
FW	Taha Ayari	(2005-05-10) 10 May 2005 (age 20)	1	0	AIK	v.  North Macedonia, 26 March 2024
Notes WD = Player withdrew from the squad TUN = Switched to Tunisia national team TUR = Switched to Turkey national team

Previous squads

• 1998 UEFA European Under-21 Championship squad
• 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Championship squad
• 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship squad
• 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship squad
• 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship 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

Oscar Hiljemark holds the record for most appearances made for the team, having 37 caps.

#	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

Ola Toivonen, with 13 goals is the team's joint top goalscorer with Carlos Strandberg, Toivonen being the first to reach the tally.

#	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

• Sweden men's national football team
• Sweden Olympic football team
• Sweden men's national under-19 football team
• Sweden men's national under-17 football team
• Sweden national football B team (defunct)
• UEFA European Under-21 Championship