Filippa Angeldahl: Sweden's Rising Football Star in European Championship

Slowly but surely, Filippa Angeldahl has grown into a midfield giant. The European Championship premiere showed how important the winner from Vaksala will be in the hunt for a Swedish football gold. She is a top-top player in the world. I can't see many who have her edge out there, says assistant national team captain Magnus Wikman.

» Published: July 07 2025 at 05:30

Angeldahl has most of what a central midfielder wants. Fine passing feet, sharp game sense, a horse kick for long shots. And a winner's mentality beyond the ordinary.

The 27-year-old hates to lose to such an extent that it was a problem when she was younger. National team colleague Nathalie Björn has known Angeldahl since they were small.

Well, if people think Filippa is a bad loser now, they should have seen her before ... when we played in Vaksala (the parent club in Uppsala). We're talking bad loser there. Now I think she's pretty calm compared to back then. She was completely crazy. Completely crazy. She was angry. She screamed. She kicked away balls. She completely lost it, says Björn.

Dominated in the premiere

The mentality has at least taken her far.

The football national team may have bigger profiles (Kosovare Asllani), stars that shine brighter (Fridolina Rolfö), players who dominate more in their leagues (Johanna Rytting Kaneryd).

But is any player more complete than Filippa Angeldahl? More important for the Swedish European Championship team? Doubtful.

In the premiere win against Denmark, she was dominant, was behind most of the offense for Sweden and scored the decisive 1-0 goal. Not unexpectedly, she was named the match's best player.

In an environment where national team leaders usually emphasize the collective, Sweden's assistant national team coach Magnus Wikman cannot help but lift Angeldahl to the skies.

She is very, very important for our rhythm in the game. And also a two-way player who works hard, is good at defending on crosses and good at defending on set pieces. Even if you maybe see her shooting and passing game as the primary thing. She is a top player in the world now, says Wikman ahead of Sweden's second European Championship match, against Poland in Luzern on Tuesday evening.

"Enjoy my football"

The debut in the A-national team came in the Algarve Cup 2018. Since the Olympic Games in Japan 2021, she has been a given starter.

Now she is where she wants to be - as one of the national team's key players.

That's what you dream of, to play in the national team and have a big role. I feel like I'm becoming a better football player every day. I enjoy my football, says Filippa Angeldahl.

She wants to be a player "that people can rely on", a leader in the national team. That doesn't mean she's the one who screams the loudest in the locker room.