Sven Rydell


Sven Åke Albert Rydell was a Swedish footballer who played as a forward. He represented Holmens IS, Örgryte IS, and Redbergslids IK during a club career that spanned between 1920 and 1934. A full international between 1923 and 1932, he won 43 caps and scored 49 goals for the Sweden national team. He scored five goals at the [Football at the Football at the 1924 Summer Olympics|1924 Summer Olympics|1924 Summer Olympics] where Sweden finished third. He was the all-time leading scorer for the Sweden national team for more than 80 years before his record was overtaken by Zlatan Ibrahimović in September 2014.

Club career

At club level, Rydell played for Örgryte IS, Redbergslids IK, and Holmens IS. Rydell had scored a record of nine hat-tricks for Sweden.

International career

Rydell played in the 1920s and 30s, and scored 49 goals in only 43 matches for the Sweden national team. His 49 goals stood as the national record for over 80 years. Because his career spanned the nascent years of international football, he never got a chance to play in the World Cup; his only appearance at the world stage came in the 1924 Summer Olympics, at which Sweden won a bronze medal. He was the all-time leading scorer for the Sweden national team until 4 September 2014, when Zlatan Ibrahimović overtook him by scoring his 50th international goal. However, he holds the record of scoring nine hat-tricks for Sweden.
Rydell was awarded the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal in 1931 after an impressive performance in an international game against Denmark in 1931.

Personal life

Rydell's daughter Eva represented Sweden as a gymnast in the 1960 and 1964 Olympics. Rydell died on 4 April 1975. He is buried at Östra kyrkogården in Gothenburg.

Career statistics

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
120 June 1923Strömvallen, Gävle, Sweden1–05–4Friendly
216 September 1923Gressbanen, Oslo, Norway3–23–2Friendly
318 May 1924Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden1–05–1Friendly
418 May 1924Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden3–15–1Friendly
518 May 1924Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden5–15–1Friendly
629 May 1924Stade de Colombes, Paris, France2–08–11924 Summer Olympics
729 May 1924Stade de Colombes, Paris, France6–08–11924 Summer Olympics
829 May 1924Stade de Colombes, Paris, France8–18–11924 Summer Olympics
91 June 1924Stade Pershing, Paris, France4–05–01924 Summer Olympics
109 June 1924Stade de Colombes, Paris, France1–03–11924 Summer Olympics
119 June 1924Stade de Colombes, Paris, France3–13–11924 Summer Olympics
1215 June 1924Parken, Copenhagen, Denmark2–23–21924–28 Nordic Football Championship
1315 June 1924Parken, Copenhagen, Denmark3–23–21924–28 Nordic Football Championship
1429 June 1924Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden2–05–0Friendly
1529 June 1924Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden3–05–0Friendly
1629 June 1924Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden4–05–0Friendly
1729 June 1924Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden5–05–0Friendly
1821 September 1924Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden4–16–11924–28 Nordic Football Championship
1921 September 1924Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden5–16–11924–28 Nordic Football Championship
2021 September 1924Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden6–16–11924–28 Nordic Football Championship
215 July 1925Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden1–42–4Friendly
2212 July 1925Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden2–06–2Friendly
2312 July 1925Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden5–26–2Friendly
2423 August 1925Gräsbanen, Oslo, Norway1–17–31924–28 Nordic Football Championship
2523 August 1925Gräsbanen, Oslo, Norway3–27–31924–28 Nordic Football Championship
2623 August 1925Gräsbanen, Oslo, Norway4–27–31924–28 Nordic Football Championship
2723 August 1925Gräsbanen, Oslo, Norway5–27–31924–28 Nordic Football Championship
289 June 1926Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden2–23–21924–28 Nordic Football Championship
299 June 1926Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden3–23–21924–28 Nordic Football Championship
303 April 1927Duden Park, Brussels, Belgium1–11–2Friendly
3129 May 1927Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden2–012–0Friendly
3229 May 1927Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden8–012–0Friendly
3329 May 1927Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden12–012–0Friendly
3426 June 1927Gressbanen, Oslo, Norway1–15–31924–28 Nordic Football Championship
3526 June 1927Gressbanen, Oslo, Norway2–15–31924–28 Nordic Football Championship
3626 June 1927Gressbanen, Oslo, Norway4–15–31924–28 Nordic Football Championship
376 November 1927Letzigrund, Zürich, Switzerland1–12–2Friendly
387 October 1928Parken, Copenhagen, Denmark1–31–31924–28 Nordic Football Championship
399 June 1929Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden2–06–2Friendly
409 June 1929Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden3–06–2Friendly
419 June 1929Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden5–16–2Friendly
4228 July 1929Malmö IP, Malmö, Sweden2–010–0Friendly
4328 June 1931Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden2–13–11929–32 Nordic Football Championship
4428 June 1931Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden3–13–11929–32 Nordic Football Championship
4526 July 1931Arosvallen, Västerås, Sweden4–06–0Friendly
468 November 1931Üllöi utca, Budapest, Hungary1–11–3Friendly
4716 May 1932Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden1–17–1Friendly
4816 May 1932Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden2–17–1Friendly
4916 May 1932Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden6–17–1Friendly

Honours

Sweden
Individual
Records