Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sport
Football
Football is the most popular sporting activity in Sweden. There are over 3000 clubs with
about a million members. The domestic season runs from April to early November. The
national arena, Råsunda Stadium in Solna, a suburb in Stockholm's northwest, can hold up
to 37,000 roaring spectators.
Two of Sweden's best-known Swedish football players are Gunnar Nordahl (1921-95),
who helped Sweden win gold at the 1948 Olympics and went on to be the all-time top
scorer at AC Milan, and Malmö-born Zlatan Ibrahimović (1981-).
Ice Hockey
There are amateur ice-hockey teams in most Swedish communities. The national premier
league, Elitserien, has 12 professional teams; there are also several lower divisions.
Matches take place from autumn to late spring, up to four times a week in Stockholm,
primarily at Globen arena.
Skiing
Alpine skiing competitions are held annually, particularly in Åre. Vasaloppet, the world's
biggest nordic (cross-country) skiing race, takes place on the first Sunday in March.
Swedish skiing stars include four-time Olympic gold-medal winner Gunde Svan and
giant-slalom icon Ingemar Stenmark, who won a total of 86 races in the Alpine Ski World
Cup.
Other Sports
Swedish men have excelled at tennis; superstars include Björn Borg, Mats Wilander and
Stefan Edberg. Borg won the Wimbledon Championships in England five times in a row.
Golf is hugely popular, with more than 400 courses throughout the country. Sweden's
Annika Sörenstam is ranked as one of the game's leading players.
