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 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.
Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place Tournament held on home soil
| UEFA European Under-21 Championship record | UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification record | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | |||||||||||||
| 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 | To be determined | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 5 | ||||||||
| Total | 1 title | 9/27 | 34 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 50 | 40 | 201 | 109 | 40 | 52 | 386 | 205 | |
The following 23 players were called up for the friendly matches against England and Croatia on 7 and 11 June 2024, respectively.[3]
Caps and goals updated as of 11 June 2024.
The following 43 players are still eligible for the U21 team (i.e. born in 2002 or later) and have previously been called up to the squad.
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.
| 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 | |
| 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 |