26 July 1948 - The Olympics Return

On 26 July 1948, Olympic football kicked off in London, ending a 12-year hiatus imposed by the outbreak of World War II.

The last Olympic games were held in Berlin in 1936, with Italy taking the gold medal in football. Tokyo was scheduled to host the 1940 games, with London following in 1944. But the eruption of World War II in 1939 forced the cancellation of the games for the duration (some countries suspended league play as well).

When the war ended in 1945, the Olympic organizers resumed their plans for a 1948 tournament and chose London as hosts, foregoing Tokyo because of Japan's role in the conflict. Although opening ceremonies were not until 29 July, the football tournament started three days early with a four-team preliminary round.

The Netherlands beat the Republic of Ireland 2-0 at Fratton Park in Portsmouth. Meanwhile, Luxembourg dominated Afghanistan 6-0 at the Goldstone Ground in Brighton, setting their record victory in the process. Unfortunately for both teams, their success did not carry into the first round, as the Dutch lost to Great Britain in extra time, 4-3, and Luxembourg fell to Yugoslavia 6-1 despite taking the lead in the tenth minute.

Great Britain advanced to the semi-finals before losing to Yugoslavia, who took silver after falling to Sweden in the final.

22 June 2004 - Yes, It Was A Very Unusual Result

On 22 June 2004, Sweden and Denmark played to a 2-2 draw, getting just the result they needed for both to advance in the Euros at the expense of Italy.

It was the final matchday of Group C. Italy started the day two points behind Sweden and Denmark, having drawn against both, while both had already beaten Bulgaria, Italy's opponent. In the event of a Sweden-Denmark draw, a win for Italy would only pull them level on points. As a tiebreaker, the rules looked to goal differential, then goals scored, but only as compared among the tied teams.

A draw between Sweden and Denmark would give all three teams the same goal differential, making goals scored the deciding factor. Denmark's match with Italy was scoreless, while Sweden-Italy finished 1-1. So a scoreless result between Sweden and Denmark would put Italy through, while a score draw of 2-2 or higher would eliminate the Italians.

Italy raised the possibility of such a result before the games, but Sweden co-manager Lars Lagerbäck dismissed any possibility of a fix, saying "Machiavelli might have been Italian and Italians might like to think in a Machiavellian way, but it would not be possible to play for a 2-2 draw against Denmark and I don't think it will end 2-2 – that is a very unusual result."

But 2-2 is what they got. Denmark took a 28th-minute lead from Jon Dahl Tomasson, then Sweden's Henrik Larsson equalized with a 47th-minute penalty. The Danes reclaimed the lead with another goal from Tomasson (66'), but Sweden again drew level, this time with a strike from Mattias Jonson (89'). Italy beat Bulgaria 2-1, but that was their last contest of the tournament.

19 January 2008 - Donovan Takes The Lead

On 19 January 2008, a penalty kick against Sweden made Landon Donovan the all-time scoring leader for the US men's team.

Since making his first appearance in 2000, the forward/midfielder had already become the team's all-time leader in assists, passing Cobi Jones for that honor in 2006. By January 2008, he had scored a total of 34 goals, including key strikes in the 2002 World Cup and several Gold Cup competitions, to match the record set by Eric Wynalda from 1990 to 2000.

Playing a friendly against Sweden at the Home Depot Center in California, the US went up 1-0 with a 15th-minute goal from debutant Eddie Robinson. Then, just after the break, Swedish center back Mattias Bjärsmyr committed a foul in the box against US forward Jozy Altidore. Donovan stepped up and converted the ensuing penalty kick to claim sole possession of the goalscoring record. The US went on to win the match 2-0.

Before his retirement in 2014, Donovan extended the record to 57. It remains well behind the record for the women's team, however, set at 184 by Abby Wambach (2001-2015).

12 October 2003 - Künzer's Golden Goal

On 12 October 2003, Germany won their first Women's World Cup, beating Sweden 2-1 in the final with a golden goal from substitute Nia Künzer.

The final continued a growing rivalry between the two teams. Sweden won their first meeting in a major tournament, beating the Germans in the 1991 FIFA World Cup third-place match, then again in the group stage in 1995. But since then, it had been all Germany, who defeated Sweden twice in the final of the UEFA Women's European Championship (1995 and 2001), took them out in the Euro semifinals in 1997 and beat them in the first round in 2001. They also topped them in the group stage of the 2000 Summer Olympics.

In the 2003 World Cup Final, played before a crowd of 26,137 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, Sweden played a strong defensive game, shutting down a high-powered German attack that saw them breeze through the group stage with a goal differential of +11. Although the German side included forward Birgit Prinz, the tournament's leading scorer with seven goals, she was repeatedly denied by Swedish goalkeeper Caroline Jönsson.

Sweden took a surprising lead with a 41st-minute strike from forward Hanna Ljungberg, but the lead didn't last long as German striker Maren Meinert equalized in the 46th minute. That was the last score throughout the first 90 minutes, sending the match into extra time. There, defender-midfielder Künzer (pictured), who had come on in the 88th minute, scored a golden goal, beating Jönsson with a powerful headed ball that just cleared the keeper's outstretched hand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcRzEWjv15Y

16 April 1977 - Young Freddie Ljungberg

On 16 April 1977, Swedish national team captain, Arsenal star midfielder, and Calvin Klein model Freddie Ljungberg was born in Vittsjö.

He started his professional footballing career with Swedish side Halmstad in 1994 after spending 12 years in their youth team. In five seasons there, he won both the Swedish Cup (1995) and the league (1997). His performances drew the attention of Arsenal, who set a Swedish transfer record when they signed him in 1998 for £3 million. Reportedly, manager Arsène Wenger signed him based solely on his performance in a televised match against England and had not seen him in person.

At Arsenal, Ljungberg quickly established himself as a fan favorite due to his frenetic style of play that helped the club to two league titles (2002, 2004) and three FA Cups (2002, 2003, 2005). While there, he signed as an underwear model with Calvin Klein, serving as the face of one of their most successful ad campaigns.

A series of injuries led to his departure from Arsenal in 2007. After a brief spell with West Ham and a short time away from football, Ljungberg moved to the US to play for the Seattle Sounders in 2008. Free from injury, his performances led to his being named to the 2009 MLS All-Star team. He retired in 2014 after spells with the Chicago Fire, Celtic, Shimizu S-Pulse, and Mumbai City.

Internationally, he made 75 appearances for Sweden between 1998 and 2008, playing in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. He captained the team for their Euro 2008 campaign and drew praise as their best player on the tournament despite their early exit.

19 January 2008 - The Man With The Golden Boot

On 19 January 2008, Landon Donovan became the US national team's all-time leading scorer with a penalty kick against Sweden.

Donovan, who played his first full international in 2000, was already the team's all-time assist leader, having passed his LA Galaxy teammate Cobi Jones for that honor in 2006. And in 2007, he tied Eric Wynalda's scoring record of 34 goals in dramatic fashion, converting a 62nd-minute penalty kick to equalize against Mexico in the Gold Cup Final as the US went on to win 2-1.

The match against Sweden was a friendly, played at the Galaxy's Home Depot Center in Carson, California as both teams geared up for their World Cup 2010 qualifying campaigns. Defender Eddie Robinson, in his first international appearance, drove a shot home from a rebound in the 15th minute to put the hosts up 1-0. Then, in the 48th minute, the referee awarded the US a penalty kick when Sweden's Mattias Bjarsmyr fouled US forward Jozy Altidore in the box. Donovan stepped up and converted the spot kick for his record 35th goal.

Donovan increased his record goal tally to 57 before his retirement in 2014.

30 September 1945 - Sweden Manages To Be In Two Places At Once

On 30 September 1945, Sweden played - and won - two separate matches. One was against Denmark in Solna and the other was against Finland in Helsinki.

At the time, Sweden was a rising power in football, having finished fourth at the 1938 World Cup. Unfortunately for the Swedes, however, all of their official competitions had been postponed due to the outbreak of World War II, so they had little opportunity to capitalize on the strength of their side, led by their prolific forward pairing of Gunnar Nordahl (43 goals in 33 appearances between 1942 and 1948) and Gunnar Gren (32 goals in 57 appearances between 1939 and 1958).

In place of the canceled competitions, Sweden played several friendlies during the war years. For some reason, they overbooked for 30 September 1945 and had to send full squads to both matches. As a sign of their dominance, Sweden won the two of them in convincing fashion, beating Denmark 4-1 and Finland 1-6.

Sweden continued their run of success once official competitions resumed after the war, taking the gold medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics, then finishing third at the 1950 World Cup.

10 July 1994 - The Swede Taste Of Victory

On 10 July 1994, Sweden advanced to the World Cup semi-finals by beating Romania on penalties, 2-2 (4-5).

The match, played before a crowd of 83,500 at Stanford Stadium in California, took a while to get going as the teams were scoreless deep into the second half. But in the 78th minute, Sweden were awarded a free kick from about 25 yards out. While appearing ready to send the ball over the wall, the Swedes employed a little trickery and rolled it down the right side where an onrushing Tomas Brolin turned and fired it into the goal for a 1-0 lead.

Romania equalized 10 minutes later with a free kick of their own that dropped in the box to the feet of Florin Răducioiu, who drilled it into the top of the net. Răducioiu then put the Romanians ahead in the 101st minute with a strong shot from the top of the box, but Sweden drew level in the 115th minute as a long cross found forward Kennet Andersson in front of the goal for an easy header.

In the ensuing shootout, the first kick fell to Sweden's Håkan Mild, who sent the ball well over the bar. But after three successful Romanian kicks, Swedish keeper Thomas Ravelli (pictured) saved the fourth. Even at 4-4 after five kicks each, the shootout went into sudden death. After Henrik Larsson converted for Sweden, Ravelli stopped the shot by Miodrag Belodedić for the win.

Sweden advanced to the semifinals where they lost to Brazil, 1-0, but they beat Bulgaria 4-0 in the third place match to secure their best finish since finishing as runners-up in 1958.

12 June 2002 - Argentina Evicted

On 12 June 2002, one day after favorites France were eliminated from the 2002 World Cup, fellow title hopefuls Argentina were knocked out by Sweden. It was the first time since 1962 that Argentina failed to advance past the first round.

Argentina entered the match in Group F's third place on three points, one point behind England and Sweden, and needed a win to secure their place in the next round. They dominated possession, with 65% to Sweden's 35%, but squandered several chances to take the lead. In the first half, midfielder Juan Pablo Sorín received a cross right in front of the goal, but headed the ball over the bar. Later in the half, another cross found forward Claudo López on the left edge of the goal, but he put it into the side netting.

Sweden finally broke the deadlock when midfielder Anders Svensson curled a 59th-minute freekick over the wall and into the goal's top left corner, just past the outstretched hand of Argentina's keeper, Pable Cavallero. The Swedes had a chance to extend their lead late in the second half, but Andreas Andersson's shot hit the bar.

Argentina drew level in the 88th minute, as forward Ariel Ortega was tripped in the box. Swedish keeper Magnus Hedman blocked the ensuing penalty kick, but it rebounded to the feet of second-half substitute Hernán Crespo, who slammed it home for the equalizer. The Argentines were unable to find another, however, and the match ended 1-1 to send Argentina home.

3 October 1981 - The Sweet-Finishing Swede

On 3 October 1981, Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimović was born in Malmö. The striker, who currently plays for PSG, is now one of the highest-paid footballers in the world.

Ibrahimović started his professional career in 1999 with his hometown club, Malmö FF, but transferred to Ajax in 2001. He helped Ajax win the Eredivisie title in his first season. He also made his first appearance for the Swedish national team senior side in 2001.

In 2004, he moved to Juventus and made an immediate impact, scoring 16 goals his first season. Juve won the Serie A title in Ibrahimović's two seasons there, but were forced to relenquish those Scudettos after being found guilty of match-fixing. As an additional punishment, Juve were relegated to Serie B for the 2006-07 season. As a result, Ibrahimović left Juventus and signed with rivals Inter.

Again, Ibrahimović proved to be an instant success, becoming Inter's top scorer his first season with 15 goals and helping the Milanese club to three consecutive Scudettos. Despite his success, however, he has been the subject of frequent criticism for failing to make an impact in critical matches, including matches in the UEFA Champions League.

In 2009, Ibrahimović moived again, this time to reigning La Liga and Champions League holders Barcelona. The transfer was widely publicized, with Inter receiving forward Barça forward Samuel Eto'o (valued at €20 million) and €46 million for the striker. He currently earns €9.5 million per year with the Catalan club. Despite the price, he stayed there just over a season before returning to Italy to play for Milan. 

In 2012, after two seasons with Milan, he joined Paris Saint-Germain for a fee close to €20 million, raising his total transfer fees to €180 million, breaking the record previously held by Nicolas Anelka. He also received an annual salary of €14 million, making him the second-highest paid footballer in the world at the time, behind only Samuel Eto'.

20 August 1916 - Putting The Swords To The Swedes

On 20 August 1916, the United States played their first official international match, defeating Sweden 2-3 in Stockholm. 

The United States had earlier played a couple of unofficial matches against Canada, first losing 0-1 in 1885, then winning 1-0 in 1886, both in Newark, New Jersey. The match against Sweden, however, was the first since the founding of the United States Soccer Federation in 1913.

Approximately 21,000 people watched the match, including Sweden's King Gustav V. US captain Thomas Swords scored the opening goal in the first half, with Charles Ellis adding another in the second half to put the Americans up 2-0. Sweden then pulled one back, but Harry Cooper netted a third for the US. Five minutes from time, Sweden added a second to end the match 2-3 in favor of the visiting American side. 

15 June 1924 - They Come From The Land Of The Ice And Snow

On 15 June 1924, Sweden came from behind to win the inaugural match of the Nordic Football Championship, defeating Denmark 3-2 at the Idrætsparken in Copenhagen before a crowd of 25,000.

That first tournament was played over the course of five years, with each of the three participating countries—Sweden, Denmark, and Norway—playing each other team twice each year. Finland joined in 1929 at the start of the second tournament and both Iceland and the Faroe Islands joined in 2000.

In that opening match, Denmark took a 2-0 lead early in the second half with goals from Alf Olsen (2') and Ernst Nilsson (47'), before Sweden surged back. Striker Per Kaufeldt started the rally with a goal in the 56th minute and then 19-year-old Sven Rydell equalized in the 65th minute. Rydell completed his brace with the game winner in the 74th minute.

When the tournament ended in 1928, Rydell was the leading goal scorer with 15 (12 of which came in matches against Norway, including two hat-tricks and one match in which he scored four). Denmark claimed the first title, however, finishing with 7 wins, 2 draws, and only 1 loss to top the table with 16 points, three more than second-place finisher Sweden. Norway was last with a single point.

14 November 2012 - England Gets Zlatanned

On 14 November 2012, Sweden opened their new Friends Arena in Stockholm with a stellar performance from Zlatan Ibrahimović in 4-2 win over England.

A crowd of 49,967 gathered for the stadium's first match, a friendly, and watched as Ibrahimović—fresh off the publication of his autobiography I Am Zlatan two months earlier—put Sweden up 1-0 in the 20th minute. But England countered with scores from Danny Welbeck (35') and debutant Steven Caulker (38') to take a 1-2 lead into the break.

They held the lead until the 77th minute, when Ibrahimović controlled a long pass with his chest and volleyed the ball past goalkeeper Joe Hart for the equalizer. The Swedish captain then restored the hosts' lead with an 87th-minute free kick from thirty yards out.

But it was his last goal that was the most impressive. In the first minute of stoppage time, with Sweden still leading 3-2, Hart raced outside the box to head a ball away. It went toward Ibrahimović, about twenty yards away from the goal, who then delivered an overhead bicycle kick to cap the 4-2 victory.

20 October 1908 - Whoever They Were, They Got Off To A Great Start

On 20 October 1908, Great Britain played their first match and got their biggest win, beating Sweden 12-1 at the London Olympics.

Some dispute exists as to whether the team was truly representative of Great Britain, as it consisted of players exclusively from England (and all were members of the English amateur national team). On the other hand, they wore Union Jacks on their shirts, suggesting that, whatever sporting allegiances they usually held, they were at the Olympics to play for all of Great Britain.

They opened their campaign with a match against Sweden at White City, played in front of a relatively modest crowd of 2,000 (four times that many showed up there for the final). The British team dominated, with goals from Clyde Purnell (4), Harold Stapley (2), Vivian Woodward (2), Robert Hawkes (2), Arthur Berry, and Frederick Chapman, while Sweden's only goal came from Gustaf Bergström. The scoreline remains the team record.

Great Britain followed the win with a 4-0 victory over the Netherlands. That put them into the gold medal match against Denmark, which they also won, 2-0.

26 July 1948 - The Olympics Return

On 26 July 1948, Olympic football kicked off in London, ending a 12-year hiatus imposed by the outbreak of World War II.

The last Olympic games were held in Berlin in 1936, with Italy taking the gold medal in football. Tokyo was scheduled to host the 1940 games, with London following in 1944. But the eruption of World War II in 1939 forced the cancellation of the games for the duration (some countries suspended league play as well).

When the war ended in 1945, the Olympic organizers resumed their plans for a 1948 tournament and chose London as hosts, foregoing Tokyo because of Japan's role in the conflict. Although opening ceremonies were not until 29 July, the football tournament started three days early with a four-team preliminary round.

The Netherlands beat the Republic of Ireland 2-0 at Fratton Park in Portsmouth. Meanwhile, Luxembourg dominated Afghanistan 6-0 at the Goldstone Ground in Brighton, setting their record victory in the process. Unfortunately for both teams, their success did not carry into the first round, as the Dutch lost to Great Britain in extra time, 4-3, and Luxembourg fell to Yugoslavia 6-1 despite taking the lead in the tenth minute.

Great Britain advanced to the semi-finals before losing to Yugoslavia, who took silver after falling to Sweden in the final.

29 June 1958 - Brazil Starts A World Cup Collection

On 29 June 1958, Brazil won their first World Cup, beating hosts Sweden 5-2.

Both teams were looking to recover from disappointment four years earlier. After finishing as runners-up in 1950, Brazil exited the 1954 tournament in the first knockout round, while Sweden, the third-place finishers in 1950, failed even to qualify in 1954. In 1958, they both won their groups then advanced to the Final, Brazil with wins over Wales (1-0) and France (5-2) and Sweden with wins over the Soviet Union (2-0) and West Germany (3-1).

A crowd of 51,800 turned out to watch the Final, played at the Råsunda Stadium in Solna, while many millions more tuned in to the television broadcast. They were rewarded soon after the opening whistle with a fourth-minute goal from Swedish midfielder Nils Liedholm, but the hosts' lead did not last long. Just five minutes later, Brazilian midfielder Garrincha raced down the right wing and sent in a cross that was tapped home by forward Vavá. The pair connected again on a virtually identical goal in the 32nd minute to give Brazil a 2-1 lead at the break.

In the second half, Brazil resumed control, extending their lead to 4-1 with goals from Pelé (55') and Mario Zagallo (68'). Sweden striker Agne Simonsson pulled one back in the 80th minute, but Pelé added a final punctuation mark with a 90th-minute header.

That final was goal was Pelé's sixth of the tournament, tying him with West Germany's Helmut Rahn for second-most behind France's Just Fontaine (13). He was only 17 years and 249 days old at the time, which remains a record for the youngest player to appear in a World Cup Final. Brazil, meanwhile, have gone on to win a record haul of five World Cups, adding trophies in 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002.

22 June 2004 - Yes, It Was A Very Unusual Result

On 22 June 2004, Sweden and Denmark played to a 2-2 draw, getting just the result they needed for both to advance in the Euros at the expense of Italy.

It was the final matchday of Group C. Italy started the day two points behind Sweden and Denmark, having drawn against both, while both had already beaten Bulgaria, Italy's opponent. In the event of a Sweden-Denmark draw, a win for Italy would only pull them level on points. As a tiebreaker, the rules looked to goal differential, then goals scored, but only as compared among the tied teams.

A draw between Sweden and Denmark would give all three teams the same goal differential, making goals scored the deciding factor. Denmark's match with Italy was scoreless, while Sweden-Italy finished 1-1. So a scoreless result between Sweden and Denmark would put Italy through, while a score draw of 2-2 or higher would eliminate the Italians.

Italy raised the possibility of such a result before the games, but Sweden co-manager Lars Lagerbäck dismissed any possibility of a fix, saying "Machiavelli might have been Italian and Italians might like to think in a Machiavellian way, but it would not be possible to play for a 2-2 draw against Denmark and I don't think it will end 2-2 – that is a very unusual result."

But 2-2 is what they got. Denmark took a 28th-minute lead from Jon Dahl Tomasson, then Sweden's Henrik Larsson equalized with a 47th-minute penalty. The Danes reclaimed the lead with another goal from Tomasson (66'), but Sweden again drew level, this time with a strike from Mattias Jonson (89'). Italy  beat Bulgaria 2-1, but that was their last contest of the tournament.

19 January 2008 - Donovan Takes The Lead

On 19 January 2008, a penalty kick against Sweden made Landon Donovan the all-time scoring leader for the US men's team.

Since making his first appearance in 2000, the forward/midfielder had already become the team's all-time leader in assists, passing Cobi Jones for that honor in 2006. By January 2008, he had scored a total of 34 goals, including key strikes in the 2002 World Cup and several Gold Cup competitions, to match the record set by Eric Wynalda from 1990 to 2000.

Playing a friendly against Sweden at the Home Depot Center in California, the US went up 1-0 with a 15th-minute goal from debutant Eddie Robinson. Then, just after the break, Swedish center back Mattias Bjärsmyr committed a foul in the box against US forward Jozy Altidore. Donovan stepped up and converted the ensuing penalty kick to claim sole possession of the goalscoring record. The US went on to win the match 2-0.

Donovan has continued to add to his total and currently has extended the record to 46. It remain well behind the record for the women's team, however, set at 158 by Mia Hamm from 1987 to 2004.

(Photo credit to Kirby Lee, US Presswire.)

12 October 2003 - Künzer's Golden Goal

On 12 October 2003, Germany won their first Women's World Cup, beating Sweden 2-1 in the final with a golden goal from substitute Nia Künzer.

The final continued a growing rivalry between the two teams. Sweden won their first meeting in a major tournament, beating the Germans in the 1991 FIFA World Cup third-place match, then again in the group stage in 1995. But since then, it had been all Germany, who defeated Sweden twice in the final of the UEFA Women's European Championship (1995 and 2001), took them out in the Euro semifinals in 1997 and beat them in the first round in 2001. They also topped them in the group stage of the 2000 Summer Olympics.

In the 2003 World Cup Final, played before a crowd of 26,137 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, Sweden played a strong defensive game, shutting down a high-powered German attack that saw them breeze through the group stage with a goal differential of +11. Although the German side included forward Birgit Prinz, the tournament's leading scorer with seven goals, she was repeatedly denied by Swedish goalkeeper Caroline Jönsson.

Sweden took a surprising lead with a 41st-minute strike from forward Hanna Ljungberg, but the lead didn't last long as German striker Maren Meinert equalized in the 46th minute. That was the last score throughout the first 90 minutes, sending the match into extra time. There, defender-midfielder Künzer (pictured), who had come on in the 88th minute, scored a golden goal, beating Jönsson with a powerful headed ball that just cleared the keeper's outstretched hand.

Germany went on to repeat as champions in 2007. Since the 2003 final, they have beaten Sweden twice more in a major tournament, in the third-place match for the 2004 Olympics and in the quarterfinals of the 2008 Olympics.

See highlights of the 2003 final here on YouTube.

16 April 1977 - Young Freddie Ljungberg

On 16 April 1977, Swedish national team captain, Arsenal star midfielder, and Calvin Klein model Freddie Ljungberg was born in Vittsjö.

He started his professional footballing career with Swedish side Halmstad in 1994 after spending 12 years in their youth team. In five seasons there, he won both the Swedish Cup (1995) and the league (1997). His performances drew the attention of Arsenal, who set a Swedish transfer record when they signed him in 1998 for £3 million. Reportedly, manager Arsène Wenger signed him based solely on his performance in a televised match against England and had not seen him in person.

At Arsenal, Ljungberg quickly established himself as a fan favorite due to his frenetic style of play that helped the club to two league titles (2002, 2004) and three FA Cups (2002, 2003, 2005). While there, he signed as an underwear model with Calvin Klein, serving as the face of one of their most successful ad campaigns.

A series of injuries led to his departure from Arsenal in 2007. After a brief spell with West Ham and a short time away from football, Ljungberg moved to the US to play for the Seattle Sounders in 2008. Free from injury, his performances led to his being named to the 2009 MLS All-Star team and, after a short spell with the Chicago Fire, his return to the UK to play for Celtic, his current club.

Internationally, he made 75 appearances for Sweden between 1998 and 2008, playing in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. He captained the team for their Euro 2008 campaign and drew praise as their best player on the tournament despite their early exit.