This is how the first round is played:
Saturday 28 March: AIK–IFK Norrköping (1 p.m.), Eskilstuna United–Vittsjö (3 p.m.).
Sunday 29 March: Piteå–Kristianstad (2:00 p.m.), Häcken–Brommapojkarna, Malmö FF–Uppsala, Djurgården–Växjö (all 3:00 p.m.), Hammarby–Rosengård (4:00 p.m.).
Reigning champion: Häcken.
Newcomers: Eskilstuna United and Uppsala.
Relegated last year: Linköping and Alingsås.
+ Where can you watch the matches?
Viaplay is the broadcaster, and the majority of the matches can be watched on Viaplay Sport, TV6 and Viaplay.se. Selected matches will also be broadcast on SVT.
+ Who will win the gold?
Just like last year, most people seem to agree that three teams will compete for the Swedish Championship gold in 2026: Häcken, Hammarby and Malmö FF. Last year, Häcken became champions for the first time in the women's game, but were challenged in the final by both Hammarby and newcomer Malmö FF.
+ Who is leaving?
Newcomers Eskilstuna and Uppsala are said to have their main focus on staying in the top division. Going into the season, teams like Brommapojkarna, Växjö and Vittsjö are possible competitors at the bottom.
+ Player sales are increasing
Elite Women's Football, which represents the Swedish elite clubs, aims to increase revenue from player sales to SEK 50 million per year from 2027. And already in the first two months of 2026, players have been sold for just over SEK 21 million. Among the notable moves during the winter are Smilla Holmberg, Ellen Wangerheim and Julie Blakstad from Hammarby, Hanna Wijk, Matilda Nildén and Alice Bergström from Häcken and Wilma Leidhammar from IFK Norrköping.
+ Will Häcken retain the top scorer title?
Felicia Schröder scored 29 goals last year and won the top scorer title by a wide margin. The Häcken star, who turns 19 in just over two weeks, is being chased by several foreign clubs but has so far chosen to remain at Hisingen. The same applies to her national team teammate, 22-year-old Monica Jusu Bah. If Häcken can keep the duo until the end of the season, it could be worth its weight in gold.
+ National team goalkeepers
Malmö FF has a big new acquisition in the form of Zecira Musovic. The Swedish national team goalkeeper is back after becoming a mother, and is ready to challenge for the starting spot for both MFF and the national team. Another national team goalkeeper, Jennifer Falk, has also temporarily left the Swedish domestic game - Falk is on loan from Häcken to Liverpool until the summer.
+ Got fired - was immediately reinstated
Joel Kjetselberg was fired as Rosengård's head coach in September after the reigning champions struggled at the bottom of the table. Four months later, he was reinstated. Can the 37-year-old take the Malmö club back to the top?
+ How many Swedish Championship gold medals does MFF actually have?
Malmö FF is chasing its first SM gold in the women's game. Or? If you look at FC Rosengård's 14 SM titles, the first five (1986, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994) actually came when the club was part of Malmö FF's women's section. However, MFF's current women's initiative began in 2019. So if Malmö FF wins the Damallsvenskan in 2026 - how will it be described? Axel Fägerhall, group manager for the competition and transfer group at the Swedish Football Association, says this to Sydsvenskan:
If MFF were to win gold, I don't think we would say it's the first gold for MFF, considering that a club with the same club emblem has won Swedish Championship gold before.
