Magdalena Eriksson announces retirement from iconic Sweden international career | OneFootball

Magdalena Eriksson has been one of the most recognisable players of the Swedish national team for over a decade. But over the weekend, she announced her retirement from the Blågult after earning 123 caps.

Her decision to hang up her international boots is a significant moment in the recent history of the Swedish national team. Let’s take a look back at her career with Sweden and the legacy she leaves behind.

Magdalena Eriksson’s career for Sweden

Eriksson made her debut for the national team against France in 2014, where Sweden lost 3-0 away in Amiens. She made her tournament debut in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, where Sweden won a silver medal.

Eriksson ended her international career representing her country in seven consecutive major tournaments. She is a two-time Olympic silver medalist (winning again at Tokyo 2020), and has earned two third-place finishes at the Women’s World Cup in 2019 and 2023.

The centre-back scored 14 goals for her country along the way. Her first goal came 23 months after her debut, in a 6-0 friendly over Scotland. It took four more years to get her first, and only, goal in a major tournament, during Sweden’s 3-1 win over Japan at the Tokyo Olympics.

Eight of Eriksson’s 14 goals came in the same stadium. Gamla Ullevi in Gothenburg became Eriksson’s best scoring ground for the national team, with her last goal for them coming back in April during a 1-1 Nations League draw with Wales.

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Eriksson took to Instagram on Sunday night to share the news of her retirement. She cited the need to ‘listen to her body and her mind’, when choosing to step away from the national team. At the age of 32, she is by no means the eldest retiree for Sweden, but it was clearly a decision made to prolong her playing career just a little.

In recent years, Eriksson has struggled with recurring injuries, keeping her away from both Sweden and club football with Bayern München. But with the German team reportedly trying to secure the defender to a new contract, this looks far from the end of Eriksson’s brilliant defending altogether.

Swedish passion and Magdalena Eriksson

Eriksson has always been a player whose passion for her country shone through in her performances on the biggest stages. Her penalty against the USA in 2023 in Australia sticks out in the memory. For the sixth penalty, Eriksson stepped up calm and controlled, with the captain’s armband on her arm. She sticks the ball into the top corner. Her celebration? Arms out in joy, strong, followed by a loud roar. It was simple but effective. Her job was done in that infamous shootout, but the passion was clear. That was the player Eriksson was for the national team: get the job done, but take time to show your emotions.

A fierce leader and a stalwart defender, Eriksson never gave anything less than 110 percent for Sweden. She never gave less than 110 percent for any team she played for, but Sweden always felt different.

The ‘trip down memory lane’ video posted by the Swedish Women’s National Team on social media on Sunday showed as much. The first goal, the last goal and the penalty were all included. But so were many videos of Eriksson’s stellar slide tackles, celebrations, songs, and dances in the locker room after the results. But what stands out most in the highlights is the smile Eriksson always wore when with Sweden. Her joy and love for the national team shone through in the memories above all else. It was always clear that Sweden meant just that little bit more to the player from Stockholm.

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Reaction and impact

The reaction to Eriksson’s retirement says it all. Players, the media, and even rival fans have come out to congratulate her career for Sweden and comment on the impact she has had on the national team.

Hanna Lundkvist said it best. The young right-back simply said on Instagram: “Learned from the best what it means to represent our country.”

It is clear that Eriksson’s impact on the team’s youngsters is tenfold. The next generation of Swedish internationals is promising in their own right, but what they will be able to take from Eriksson’s tenure will shape this team for a while longer.

Sweden have a long history of creating legends in women’s football. They are still considered some of the game’s best. Magdalena Eriksson’s commitment to both the game at large and her beloved Sweden will see her name added to that list. She has changed the game, both on and off the pitch, and that will be felt for a good while longer. Swedes are a humble bunch, but Eriksson’s impact on football deserves its flowers.

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