Famous Swedish Sportspersons

Swedish professional footballer Zlatan Ibrahimović currently plays as a striker for Serie A club A.C. Milan. Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation, he is one of the most decorated active footballers in the world.  He is Sweden's all-time leading goalscorer. He is a brash person and has been involved in several violent incidents with teammates.

Regarded as one of the best tennis players from Sweden, Björn Borg won 11 Grand Slam singles titles during his playing career. He started off as a teenage sensation and helped popularize tennis during the 1970s. The 2017 film Borg vs McEnroe was inspired by his rivalry against John McEnroe.

Swedish actor, Dolph Lundgre,n is mainly known as an action hero. He gained recognition with the 1985 Hollywood film Rocky IV and then went on to do many action and thriller movies like Joshua Tree, Showdown in Little Tokyo, Bridge of Dragons, Universal Soldier, Diamond Dogs and The Expendables. He has also directed several films like Missionary Man and Icarus.

Swedish former tennis player Stefan Edberg was once the world No. 1 professional tennis player (in both singles and doubles). He won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles, besides the Masters Grand Prix. Following his retirement from professional tennis, he began playing competitive squash and became an elite player in Sweden. 

Peter Forsberg is a Swedish former ice hockey player. Forsberg is considered one of the greatest players in the history of ice hockey. He is best known for winning a gold medal at the 1994 and 2006 Winter Olympics. Peter Forsberg was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Annika Sörenstam is a Swedish professional golfer who is often counted among the best female golfers of all time. She has won six Vare Trophies and eight Player of the Year awards. In 2003, Annika Sörenstam was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. In 2021, she was honored by Donald Trump with the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Henrik Larsson is a Swedish former football player who played as a striker for the Sweden national team from 1993 to 2009. He helped his national team win the bronze medal at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Henrik Larsson also played for popular clubs like Celtic, Barcelona, and Feyenoord. He is a member of the Scottish Football Hall of Fame.

Ronnie Peterson was a Swedish racing driver best remembered for his performance in the F1 World Drivers' Championship, where he was a two-time runner-up. Nicknamed SuperSwede, Peterson is widely regarded as one of the best F1 drivers to have not won a championship. Ronnie Peterson is also regarded as the greatest racing driver from Sweden. 

Retired Swedish ice-hockey goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, also known as The King and King Henrik, spent his entire career playing with the NHL team New York Rangers. A 3-time Olympian, he also won a gold and a silver at the games. He is renowned for his unique butterfly style of goaltending.

Popularly known as The Mauler, Swedish MMA fighter Alexander Gustafsson competes in the UFC light heavyweight division. He has spent the majority of his career training at the Allstars Gym. Before stepping into MMA, he had been involved in petty street brawls and also worked as a construction worker and a night-club bouncer.

Armand Duplantis is a Swedish pole vaulter. He currently holds the world indoor record with a height of 6.18 meters. When he was 15 years old, Duplantis won a gold medal at the 2015 World Youth Championships. He then went on to win a gold medal at the 2018 European Championships and a silver medal at the 2019 World Championships.

Erik Karlsson is a Swedish ice hockey player who currently plays for the San Jose Sharks of the NHL. An important member of the Sweden men's national team, Karlsson was part of the team that won the silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics. He also helped his national team win the bronze medal at the 2010 IIHF World Championship.

Russia-born Swedish freestyle wrestler and mixed martial artist Khamzat Chimaev began wrestling as a child, possibly to save himself from the bullies. Eventually, he took up freestyle wrestling, winning the Swedish Championship three times between 2015 and 2018, thereafter emerging as an award winning mixed martial artist. Currently, he competes in the welterweight and middleweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Jonas Jerebko is a Swedish basketball player who has played for popular NBA teams like Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, and Golden State Warriors. He is only the second Swedish-born player to play in the NBA. Jonas Jerebko has also played for the Swedish national team in important tournaments, such as the 2013 EuroBasket.

Popularly known as The Nordic Nightmare, Finnish boxer Robert Helenius was born in Sweden and moved to Finland with his parents at age 2. He was 5 when he began training in boxing and grew up to win a silver at the 2006 European Championships. He has played for both Sweden and Finland,

Henrik Sedin is a Swedish ice hockey executive. A former professional ice hockey player, Sedin played 18 seasons for the Vancouver Canucks in the National Hockey League (NHL). He also led the Vancouver Canucks from 2010 until his retirement in 2018. A two-time Olympian, Henrik Sedin helped Sweden win a gold medal at the 2006 Winter Games.

Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten was a Swedish prince. He was the oldest son of Gustaf VI Adolf. He was an athlete and competed at the 1936 Olympics in show jumping. Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten was also associated with the Swedish Olympic Committee, where he served as the president from 1933 until his demise in 1947.

Jonas Björkman is a Swedish retired professional tennis player. A former world number one in doubles, Björkman won nine Grand Slam titles and achieved his career Grand Slam in men's doubles in 2005. Jonas Björkman also represented his country at the Davis Cup, winning the prestigious title in 1994, 1997, and 1998.

Gabriel Landeskog is a professional ice hockey player who is currently leading the Colorado Avalanche which competes in the National Hockey League (NHL). Landeskog is also an important player for the Swedish national team. He helped Sweden win the gold medal at the 2013 World Championships. He also helped his team win a silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Mats Wilander is a former tennis player who won seven Grand Slam singles titles from 1982 to 1988. A former world No. 1, Wilander is one of six men to have emerged victorious in Grand Slam singles tournaments on hard courts, grass courts, and clay courts. In 2002, he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. 

Swedish football manager Sven-Göran Eriksson also had a decade-long football-playing career as a defender. He later scripted history as the English football team’s first foreign manager. He also became the first to win the Doubles in 3 countries and has had successful stints with clubs such as Benfica, Lazio, and IFK Göteborg.

Gambian-Swedish boxer Badou Jack, also known as The Ripper, has previously held the WBC super-middleweight and the WBA light-heavyweight titles. He represented Gambia in the middleweight division in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In 2022, he fought Richard Rivera for 4 extra minutes in a match due to the timekeeper’s fault.

Albanian-origin Swedish MMA fighter Ilir Latifi, also known as The Sledgehammer, has been a national championship twice. A seasoned heavyweight and light heavyweight fighter, he was temporarily suspended in 2022, after revealing to a journalist that he had competed while sick with a staph infection.

Fredrik Ljungberg is a Swedish former football player who played as a midfielder for the Sweden national football team from 1998 to 2008. He also played for popular clubs like Arsenal and West Ham United. Freddie Ljungberg has also worked as a model for brands like Calvin Klein, Nike, Procter & Gamble, Pepsi, Puma, and L'Oréal.

Daniel Sedin is a Swedish ice hockey executive. A former professional ice hockey player, Sedin played 18 seasons for the Vancouver Canucks in the National Hockey League (NHL) alongside his identical twin brother Henrik. A three-time Winter Olympian, Sedin helped his team win a gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Robin Söderling is a Swedish former tennis player. Former world No. 4 in singles, Söderling reached two successive finals at the Roland-Garros in 2009 and 2010. Robin Söderling achieved popularity in 2009, when he became the first player to defeat the great Rafael Nadal at the Roland-Garros. An offensive baseliner, Söderling was renowned for his powerful game and heavy serve.

Swedish footballer Emil Forsberg is best known as an attacking midfielder for the German club RB Leipzig. A footballer’s son, he is also married to former footballer Shanga Hussain. He has seen success with both Leipzig and Malmö FF. He has been named the Swedish Midfielder of the Year 4 times.

Kim Källström is a Swedish former football player who played as a midfielder for the Sweden national football team from 2001 to 2016. He represented his country in important tournaments like the UEFA European Football Championships and the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Kim Källström has also played for popular clubs like BK Häcken, Djurgårdens IF, and Lyon.

Born in Sweden, Iranian-origin footballer Saman Ghoddos had initially played for the Swedish national team but later joined the Iranian national team. Best known as an attacking midfielder and winger for Brentford, has previously won the Svenska Cupen for Östersunds FK and the EFL Championship play-offs for Brentford.

Sebastian Larsson is a Swedish former football player who played as a midfielder for the Sweden national football team from 2008 to 2021. He represented Sweden in important tournaments, such as the UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup. Sebastian Larsson also played for popular clubs like Birmingham City and Sunderland.

Thomas Enqvist is a Swedish retired professional tennis player who won 19 singles titles during his career. Former world No. 4, Enqvist won three Masters titles and achieved his best Grand Slam result at the 1999 Australian Open, where he was defeated by Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the final.