List of Sweden national football team captains

The Sweden national football team (Swedish: Sveriges herrlandslag i fotboll) represents the nation of Sweden in international association football. The team is controlled by the Swedish Football Association (SvFF) (Swedish: Svenska Fotbollförbundet) and competes as a member of the UEFA and the FIFA. The team played its first official international match on 12 July 1908 against Norway, winning 11–3.[1] Since the match against Norway, 1,157 players have made at least one international appearance for the team.[2] Of them, 140 have served as captain of the national team.[3] This list contains footballers who have served as captain of the Sweden national team and is listed according to their number of matches captained.

The Sweden national team's record appearance-maker as captain is Björn Nordqvist, who led the team out 92 times during his 115-cap tenure. He is the only player to have captained Sweden at the three different major tournaments; 1970 FIFA World Cup, 1974 FIFA World Cup and 1978 FIFA World Cup. During the tournament in 1974, Bo Larsson was the first-choice captain, but Nordqvist wore the armband in the last match against Yugoslavia. Zlatan Ibrahimović is the player with second most captaincies. Original a vice captain behind Henrik Larsson, he took over the armband in the summer of 2010 and wore it until his international retirement in 2016.[4] Midfielder Jonas Thern and defender Erik Nilsson are the most successful captains regarding medals. Thern led Sweden to a semi-final in UEFA Euro 1992 and a third place in 1994 FIFA World Cup. Nilsson led Sweden to third places in both 1950 FIFA World Cup and 1952 Summer Olympics. Birger Rosengren became the first and so far only Swedish captain to win a major international competition after leading the team in the 1948 Summer Olympics. Nils Rosén captained Sweden in their first World Cup in 1934 and Nils Liedholm led the team to their best performance in the World Cup, runners-up in 1958.

Captains

Players are initially listed by number of matches captained, followed by the chronological order of the first captaincy. Only players who started the match as captain are included here, not players that might have been given the armband due to the starting captain being injured, sent off or substituted off.

Statistics correct as of 12 January 2020.

Key
Still active for the national team[lower-alpha 1]
Captained the team at a major international tournament[lower-alpha 2]
Björn Nordqvist captained Sweden in 92 matches and was the captain during the World Cups in 1970 and 1978.
Gustaf Bergström captained Sweden in their first ever game against Norway on 12 July 1908.
Zlatan Ibrahimović captained Sweden for six years, including the European Championships in 2012 and 2016.
Erik Nilsson captained Sweden to third places at the 1950 FIFA World Cup and the 1952 Olympic football tournament.
Birger Rosengren was the captain in all of his caps and he captained Sweden to victory at the 1948 Olympic football tournament.
Nils Liedholm captained Sweden to the final at the 1958 FIFA World Cup, played at home soil.
Tore Keller captained Sweden in four matches and led the team to a fourth place at the 1938 FIFA World Cup.
Anders Svensson is Sweden's most capped player with 148 caps. He was in the captain in 21 of those.
Andreas Granqvist captains Sweden since 2016.
List of Sweden national team football players who have served as captain of the team
# Player Sweden career Caps as captain Total caps First to last captaincy
1Björn Nordqvist1963–1978921151967–1978
2Zlatan Ibrahimović2001–2016581162008–2016
3Jonas Thern1987–199755751989–1997
4Ingemar Erlandsson1978–198547691981–1985
5Patrik Andersson1992–200241961995–2002
6Orvar Bergmark1951–196538941959–1965
7Erik Nilsson1938–195237571947–1952
8Olof Mellberg2000–2012361172002–2006
9Andreas Granqvist2006–000033882016–2019
10Sven Friberg1915–192830411920–1928
11Bengt Gustavsson1951–196329571953–1962
12Glenn Hysén1981–199023681987–1990
13Åke Johansson1955–196522531956–1964
Roland Nilsson1986–2000221161989–2000
15Anders Svensson1999–2013211482007–2013
16Karl-Erik Grahn1935–194617411941–1946
Johan Mjällby1997–200417491998–2004
18Stig Fredriksson1979–198715581985–1987
19Agne Simonsson1957–196714511966–1967
20Sven Jonasson1932–194013421935–1940
Fredrik Ljungberg1998–200813[lower-alpha 3]752006–2008
22Axel Alfredsson1924–193211311925–1931
23Per Kaufeldt1921–193110331926–1931
Harry Lundahl1928–193310141929–1933
Bo Larsson1964–197810701973–1974
26Ragnar Wicksell1911–19219331914–1921
Birger Rosengren1945–1948991945–1948
28Thure Svensson1926–19318101926–1930
Harry Nilsson1938–19478341946–1947
Hasse Borg1976–19858491979–1980
Henrik Larsson1993–200981062008–2009
32Knut Nilsson1911–1915791912–1915
Karl Gustafsson1908–19247321913–1924
Herbert Samuelsson1929–19327111931–1932
Sven Andersson1930–19387271935–1938
Gösta Lindh1950–19547311951–1954
Daniel Andersson1997–20097742006–2009
Andreas Isaksson2002–201671332010–2016
39Hans Lindman1908–1911671908–1911
Herman Myhrberg1909–19136101911–1912
Bertil Nordenskjöld1910–1920681915–1920
Theodor Malm1908–19206261917–1920
Victor Carlund1932–19366121933–1936
Nils Rosén1925–19346251934
Stefan Rehn1988–19956451992–1994
Niclas Alexandersson1993–200861092005–2007
Tobias Linderoth1999–20086762005–2008
48Erik Börjesson1908–19225171913–1919
Albert Andersson1915–19215111920–1921
Lennart Bunke1933–19375111937
Gunnar Gren1940–19585571957–1958
Nils Liedholm1947–19585231958
Roland Grip1968–19745551972–1973
Thomas Ravelli1981–199751431990–1995
55Sven Rydell1923–19324431929–1932
Knut Kroon1925–19344351933
Tore Keller1924–19384251934–1938
Ronnie Hellström1968–19804771978–1979
Håkan Arvidsson1976–19804171979–1980
Sebastian Larsson2008–000041182013–2018
61Götrik Frykman1911–1916361911–1916
Rune Wenzel1919–19303301925–1926
Ernst Andersson1931–19373291935–1937
Erik Persson1930–19393321939
Nils Johansson1959–1966371963
Anders Linderoth1972–19803401979
Eine Fredriksson1974–19803201979–1980
Andreas Ravelli1980–19893411987–1988
Håkan Mild1991–20013742001
Pontus Jansson2012–00003232018–2019
71Gustaf Bergström1908–1909261908–1909
Carl Ohlsson1912–1919241919
Helge Ekroth1911–19222181920–1922
Gösta Pettersson1921–1923221921–1923
Gustav Möller1921–1923261923
Gunnar Holmberg1922–19272121925–1927
Harry Johansson1932–1935291932
Einar Snitt1926–19362171935
Arvid Emanuelsson1935–19462351938–1945
Sven Jacobsson1937–1947271939–1947
Sture Mårtensson1943–1948231946–1948
Knut Nordahl1945–19502261949
Tommy Svensson1967–19732401970
Kent Karlsson1973–19772381974–1975
Leif Engqvist1986–19902181990
Peter Larsson1983–19922471991
Mats Gren1984–19922221992
Gary Sundgren1994–20002301997
Markus Johannesson2001–2003252001–2003
Andreas Jakobsson1996–20042362002–2004
Tommy Jönsson2003232003
Daniel Majstorović2003–20132502009
Johan Elmander2002–20152852015
Emil Bergström2015–2016232016
Oscar Lewicki2014–00002152017
Albin Ekdal2011–00002502019
97Sixten Öberg1910–1911121910
Josef Appelgren1911–1918181916
Torsten Husén1916111916
Georg Bengtsson1913–1917131917
Konrad Törnqvist1909–19191141918
Victor Horndahl1921111921
Gösta Wihlborg1919–1923171921
Valdus Lund1915–19231291922
Gustaf Carlson1915–19241141924
Putte Kock1919–19251371924
Arvid Persson1921–1924121924
Douglas Krook1924–19291211926
Knut Lensing1927111927
Bror Persson1928111928
Arthur Bengtsson1925–1930141930
Torsten Lindskog1930111930
Gunnar Olsson1923–1932111932
Sven Nilsson1937111937
Malte Mårtensson1937–19491161943
Helge Bengtsson1949111949
Börje Leander1941–19501231950
Sven-Ove Svensson1951–19561311951
Karl-Erik Andersson1948–19541111954
Arne Arvidsson1954–19651271963
Harry Bild1957–19681281967
Ove Kindvall1965–19741431974
Olle Nordin1970–19791191979
Bo Börjesson1976–19811231981
Christian Karlsson1996–1997181997
Magnus Erlingmark1990–19981371998
Petter Hansson2001–20091432001
Klebér Saarenpää2000–20011112001
Per Nilsson2001–20141162003
Mikael Nilsson2002–20091642004
Teddy Lučić1995–20061862005
Johan Wiland2007–2013192011
Pär Hansson2011–2014162014
Jakob Johansson2013–00001182014
Anton Tinnerholm2015–0000192018
Johan Larsson2014–0000162018
Alexander Milošević2013–0000172019
Sotirios Papagiannopoulos2018–0000142019
Marcus Danielson2019–0000142020
Robin Söder2020–0000112020

Chronology

This is a chronology list of the first-choice captains in Sweden's tournament games. Matches in FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championship and Olympic Games are included here.[5][6]

Key
Champions
Runners-up
Third place
Fourth place

FIFA World Cup
Year Incumbent
1934 Nils Rosén
1938 Tore Keller
1950 Erik Nilsson
1958 Nils Liedholm
1970 Björn Nordqvist
1974 Bo Larsson
1978 Björn Nordqvist
1990 Glenn Hysén
1994 Jonas Thern
2002 Patrik Andersson
2006 Olof Mellberg
2018 Andreas Granqvist

UEFA European Championship
Year Incumbent
1992 Jonas Thern
2000 Patrik Andersson
2004 Olof Mellberg
2008 Fredrik Ljungberg
2012 Zlatan Ibrahimović
2016

Olympic Games
Year Incumbent
1908 Hans Lindman
1912 Herman Myhrberg
1920 Bertil Nordenskjöld
1924 Sven Friberg
1936 Victor Carlund
1948 Birger Rosengren
1952 Erik Nilsson

Footnotes
  1. Players who have not declared their retirement from international football and have been called up to the national team within the last 2 years.
  2. Includes matches in FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championship and Olympic football tournament (1908–1952).
  3. Includes the abandoned match against Denmark on 2 June 2007, for which caps and goals were awarded.

References
  1. "90 år sedan första landskampen" (PDF) (in Swedish). Bolletinen. April 1998. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  2. "Sveriges landslagsmän" (PDF) (in Swedish). SvFF. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  3. Alsiö, Martin; Frantz, Alf; Lindahl, Jimmy; Persson, Gunnar, eds. (2004). 100 år: Svenska fotbollförbundets jubileumsbok 1904–2004, del 2: statistiken (in Swedish). Vällingby: Stroemberg Media Group. ISBN 91-86184-59-8.
  4. "Zlatan blir lagkapten" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. 16 July 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  5. "Sweden at EU Football" (in Swedish). EU Football. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  6. "Kontaktuppgifter och tävlingar" (in Swedish). Svenskfotboll. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
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