Gösta Wihlborg


Gösta "Pysen" Wihlborg was a Swedish-American football player, best known for representing Hammarby IF. A full international between 1919 and 1923, he won 7 caps for the [Sweden men's national Association football|football team|Sweden national team].

Club career

Hammarby IF

In 1915, Hammarby IF established a football section after a merger with Klara SK, where Wihlborg had started to play as a youngster. On 15 August the same year, Wihlborg scored in the club's first ever football match, in a 5–0 home win against Västerås SK.
Wihlborg soon established himself as one of Hammarby's key players, together with goalkeeper Victor Olsson and striker Gustav Björk. In 1921, Hammarby debuted in the Svenska Serien, by then the highest league in Swedish football. He played 15 competitive games throughout the season, as the club finished third in the table, three points behind winners Örgryte.
In 1922, Hammarby had an other strong showing where they went to the finals of Svenska Mästerskapet, a cup by then held to decide the Swedish champion, losing 1–3 to GAIS in a game where Wihlborg captained his side.
In the summer of 1924, Wihlborg emigrated to the United States at age 26, thus effectively ending his football career.

International career

Wihlborg was one of the first players from Hammarby IF to establish himself as a member of the Sweden national team, and debuted in a 3–3 friendly draw away at Finland on 28 September 1919. In total, he won 7 caps for his country up until 1923.

Works cited

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