Sweden

Sweden in the UEFA country ranking: a stable position in the middle of the table

Sweden currently occupies a position in the middle section of the UEFA country ranking, remaining among countries with similar coefficient levels. This position is the result of several seasons with varying performances by Swedish clubs in European competitions, with recent editions bringing both successes and disappointments.

Current situation in the coefficient table

In the latest rankings, Sweden is 18th with a coefficient of 25.750 points over the five-year ranking period, competing for places with countries such as Austria, Scotland and Croatia. The points differences between these positions are small, meaning that each season can bring changes in the order.

How many points Swedish teams earn in the current edition of the competitions will be crucial for maintaining the present position. In previous years, Sweden recorded both very strong seasons and seasons in which clubs were eliminated early, lowering the average.

Best season: 2024/25 with 11.375 points

The 2024/25 season was particularly successful, with Sweden collecting 11.375 points – the best result in the five-year ranking period. It was thanks to such performances by individual teams in the league phases of the Europa League and Conference League that Sweden maintained its position in the middle section of the coefficient table.

During that season, Swedish clubs regularly advanced to the later stages of the competitions, which translated into a high number of points. This result demonstrated the potential of Swedish football when leading teams are able to compete with Europe’s top sides.

Who represents Sweden?

Sweden is represented in European competitions by the leading teams from the Allsvenskan, including the national champions and teams finishing in subsequent positions in the league table. In recent years, the championship title has sometimes been won by an unexpected contender, adding further dynamism to the domestic competition.

Mjällby AIF, as the surprise champions of the 2025 season, made their Champions League qualifying debut in 2026, winning their first match in European competition against Lincoln Red Imps. This shows that the Swedish league can produce surprises, although reaching the league phase remains a difficult challenge.

At present, there is fierce competition in the domestic league for places leading to European qualification, which could affect future results in Europe. If one of the teams manages to regularly reach the league phases, Sweden has a chance to improve its position in the ranking.

Prospects for the coming seasons

Sweden is among a group of leagues with similar coefficients, meaning that its future position will primarily be determined by results in European competitions. Maintaining the current position will require regular qualification for the league phase by at least one club.

On the other hand, competition with countries such as Austria, Scotland and Croatia is very close, and the small points differences mean that every season can change the order. For Swedish football, it will be crucial to avoid a series of weaker results in European competitions.

In the longer term, a stable position in the middle of the table gives Swedish clubs the typical starting places in qualifying rounds, without additional privileges but also without the risk of dropping into the lowest coefficient groups.

Summary

Sweden currently ranks 18th in the UEFA country ranking with a coefficient of 25.750 points, competing with several leagues at a similar coefficient level. This position is the result of varied performances by Swedish clubs in recent seasons – from very strong results (11.375 points in 2024/25) to early eliminations in the 2026/27 season.

The key to Sweden’s future will be whether its teams can regularly reach the league phases of European competitions. Only in this way can Sweden hope to improve its position in the ranking and potentially move higher up the coefficient table.

2026/27 season: early elimination of clubs

In the 2026/27 season, Sweden was represented by four clubs: Mjällby AIF, Hammarby IF, GAIS Göteborg and IFK Göteborg. Most of them ended their European campaigns in the first weeks of qualifying, resulting in a very low points tally for the country.

• Mjällby AIF (Swedish champions) began by eliminating Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar (0:0 away, 3:0 at home), but in the third qualifying round of the Champions League they lost their tie against Slovan Bratislava 1:4 (1:2 at home, 0:2 away) and dropped into the Europa League play-offs, where they will face Salzburg.
• Hammarby IF started in the second qualifying round of the Europa League, where they lost to Anderlecht 2:4 on aggregate (1:1 at home, 1:3 away), and then were eliminated by Raków Częstochowa in the third qualifying round of the Conference League (0:0 away, 0:1 at home).
• GAIS Göteborg won 1:0 at home against FC Nordsjælland in the second qualifying round of the Conference League, but lost 0:6 away, going out with a 1:6 aggregate score.
• IFK Göteborg defeated FCI Levadia Tallinn 4:3 on aggregate in the second qualifying round of the Conference League (1:2 at home, 3:1 away after extra time), but lost to KAA Gent 1:2 on aggregate in the third qualifying round (0:1 at home, 1:1 away).

After this series of eliminations, Sweden was left without any representative in the league phases of the European competitions, meaning that the 2026/27 season will be one of the weakest in the five-year ranking period.