List of Sweden national football team captains


The Sweden national football team represents the nation of Sweden in international association football. The team is controlled by the Swedish Football Association 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. Since the match against Norway, 1,157 players have made at least one international appearance for the team. Of them, 140 have served as captain of the national team. 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. 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.
Still active for the national team
Captained the team at a major international tournament

captained Sweden in 92 matches and was the captain during the World Cups in 1970 and 1978.
captained Sweden in their first ever game against Norway on 12 July 1908.
captained Sweden for six years, including the European Championships in 2012 and 2016.
captained Sweden to third places at the 1950 FIFA World Cup and the 1952 Olympic football tournament.
was the captain in all of his caps and he captained Sweden to victory at the 1948 Olympic football tournament.
captained Sweden to the final at the 1958 FIFA World Cup, played at home soil.
captained Sweden in four matches and led the team to a fourth place at the 1938 FIFA World Cup.
is Sweden's most capped player with 148 caps. He was in the captain in 21 of those.
captains Sweden since 2016.
#PlayerSweden careerCaps as captainTotal capsFirst to last captaincy
11963–1978921151967–1978
22001–2016581162008–2016
31987–199755751989–1997
41978–198547691981–1985
51992–200241961995–2002
61951–196538941959–1965
71938–195237571947–1952
82000–2012361172002–2006
92006–33882016–2019
101915–192830411920–1928
111951–196329571953–1962
121981–199023681987–1990
131955–196522531956–1964
131986–2000221161989–2000
151999–2013211482007–2013
161935–194617411941–1946
161997–200417491998–2004
181979–198715581985–1987
191957–196714511966–1967
201932–194013421935–1940
201998–200813752006–2008
221924–193211311925–1931
231921–193110331926–1931
231928–193310141929–1933
231964–197810701973–1974
261911–19219331914–1921
261945–1948991945–1948
281926–19318101926–1930
281938–19478341946–1947
281976–19858491979–1980
281993–200981062008–2009
321911–1915791912–1915
321908–19247321913–1924
321929–19327111931–1932
321930–19387271935–1938
321950–19547311951–1954
321997–20097742006–2009
322002–201671332010–2016
391908–1911671908–1911
391909–19136101911–1912
391910–1920681915–1920
391908–19206261917–1920
391932–19366121933–1936
391925–19346251934
391988–19956451992–1994
391993–200861092005–2007
391999–20086762005–2008
481908–19225171913–1919
481915–19215111920–1921
481933–19375111937
481940–19585571957–1958
481947–19585231958
481968–19745551972–1973
481981–199751431990–1995
551923–19324431929–1932
551925–19344351933
551924–19384251934–1938
551968–19804771978–1979
551976–19804171979–1980
552008–41182013–2018
611911–1916361911–1916
611919–19303301925–1926
611931–19373291935–1937
611930–19393321939
611959–1966371963
611972–19803401979
611974–19803201979–1980
611980–19893411987–1988
611991–20013742001
612012–3232018–2019
711908–1909261908–1909
711912–1919241919
711911–19222181920–1922
711921–1923221921–1923
711921–1923261923
711922–19272121925–1927
711932–1935291932
711926–19362171935
711935–19462351938–1945
711937–1947271939–1947
711943–1948231946–1948
711945–19502261949
711967–19732401970
711973–19772381974–1975
711986–19902181990
711983–19922471991
711984–19922221992
711994–20002301997
712001–2003252001–2003
711996–20042362002–2004
712003232003
712003–20132502009
712002–20152852015
712015–2016232016
712014–2152017
712011–2502019
971910–1911121910
971911–1918181916
971916111916
971913–1917131917
971909–19191141918
971921111921
971919–1923171921
971915–19231291922
971915–19241141924
971919–19251371924
971921–1924121924
971924–19291211926
971927111927
971928111928
971925–1930141930
971930111930
971923–1932111932
971937111937
971937–19491161943
971949111949
971941–19501231950
971951–19561311951
971948–19541111954
971954–19651271963
971957–19681281967
971965–19741431974
971970–19791191979
971976–19811231981
971996–1997181997
971990–19981371998
972001–20091432001
972000–20011112001
972001–20141162003
972002–20091642004
971995–20061862005
972007–2013192011
972011–2014162014
972013–1182014
972015–192018
972014–162018
972013–172019
972018–142019
972019–142020
972020–112020

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.
Champions
Runners-up
Third place
Fourth place

FIFA World Cup

UEFA European Championship

Olympic Games

Footnotes