The Swedish Football Pyramid
Organised football in Sweden is a summer sport. With the season stretching from April to November. This has the benefit of allowing for matches to be played in better weather conditions and therefore on better pitches, and avoids conflict with the popular winters sports including Ice Hockey, Bandy, Skiing etc. It hasn't always been like this, up to, and including 1958, football was played from Autumn to Winter (like most other countries), 1959 being the first season played Spring to Autumn.
Football was strictly an amateur sport in Sweden up until 1967 with teams not being allowed to pay their players, and any players having a professional contract being banned from representing Sweden at national level. This coined the still popular term "utlandsproffs" (foreign country professional) as any player wishing to earn money playing football had to leave the country and play elsewhere.
As with the population, most of the teams in Sweden are based in the southern third of the country. The 5 biggest cities in Sweden, starting with the capitol are; Stockholm, Gothenburg (Göteborg), Malmö, Uppsala and Västerås. Stockholm and Gothenburg currently both have 4 teams each in Allsvenskan (half of the division!).
Men's Senior Football
(click on the image for a larger view)
Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan ("The All Swedish") is Sweden's top division. Consisting of 16 teams that play each other home and away, making for a 30 game season.
The top two teams qualify for Champions League football (but only to the first of 3 qualifying rounds!). The 3rd placed team qualifies for the Europa Conference League qualifiers. The one Europa League place (qualifier) is given to the Swedish Cup winners.
The bottom two teams are automatically relegated, with the 3rd bottom placed team having to play a two-legged playoff (home and away) against the winner of a playoff between the 3rd & 4th placed teams from Superettan (new for 2026, previously the 3rd placed team automatically went into the playoff). The winner gets to compete in Allsvenskan the following season.
Superettan
Superettan ("The Super First" (Division)) is tier two of the Swedish system. It has the same setup as Allsvenskan with 16 teams & 30 matches per season.
The top two teams are promoted automatically to Allsvenskan. The 3rd and 4th placed teams playoff (two legs, home and away). The winner of which meets the 3rd bottom placed team from Allsvenskan (see above).
The bottom two teams are relegated automatically one to each of the Ettan leagues. The 13th & 14th placed teams playoff against the 2nd place teams in Ettan North & South for a place in next seasons Superettan.
Ettan Norra & Södra
Ettan ("The First" (Division)) is the 3rd tier of the Swedish system and is split into North & South leagues, each with 16 teams, and 30 games per season.
The first placed team in each league is automatically promoted to Superettan. With the second placed teams facing either the 13th or 14th placed team in Superettan in a playoff.
The 3 bottom placed teams in each league are automatically relegated to Division 2. The 13th placed team in each league has to play a playoff against a Division 2 side.
Division 2
Division 2 is the 4th tier of the Swedish system and is split into 6 regions each with their own league, consisting of 14 teams, and 26 games per season. (See the maps section below for the different regions / counties).
The top team in each league is automatically promoted to Ettan, with the 2nd placed teams meeting in a play-off (two groups of 3 teams), before playing off against the second bottom teams in Ettan North & South.
The bottom two teams in each league are relegated to division 3.
Division 3
Division 3 is the 5th tier of the Swedish system. It is split into 12 different leagues, with 12 teams in each, playing 22 games per season. This is the lowest division which is run by the Swedish FA (SvFF).
Division 4 & below
These divisions are run by local district football authorities. The top placed teams in Division 4 are promoted to Division 3.
Each division is linked with promotion and relegation (within each district).
The lowest division in most districts is division 7 (tier 9), however there is a Division 8 (tier 10) in one district / county (Uppland).
Women's Senior Football
(click on the image for a larger view)
Damallsvenskan
Damallsvenskan ("Women's All Swedish") is Sweden's top division for Women's football. Consisting of 14 teams that play each other home and away, making for a 26 game season.
The top three teams qualify for Champions League football (qualifiers).
The bottom two teams are automatically relegated, with the 3rd bottom placed team having to play a two-legged playoff (home and away) against the 3rd placed team from Elitettan. The winner gets to compete in Allsvenskan the following season.
Elitettan
Elitettan ("The Elite First" (Division)) is the 2nd-tier of Women's football in Sweden. Consisting of 14 teams and 26 games per season.
The top two teams are automatically promoted to Damallsvenskan, with the 3rd placed team playing a playoff against the 3rd bottom Damallsvenskan team.
The bottom 3 teams are relegated automatically to Division 1.
Division 1
This is the 3rd tier of Women's football in Sweden, and is split into 3 regions (Norrland, Svealand & Götaland, see maps below). Each league has 14 teams playing 26 games per season.
The winner of each league is promoted to Elitettan.
This is the lowest division that is run by the Swedish FA (SvFF).
Division 2 & below
These divisions are run by local district football authorities. The top placed teams in Division 2 are promoted to Division 1.
Each division is linked with promotion and relegation (within each district).
The lowest division is Division 5 (tier 7).
Glossary
Some useful Swedish words :-
Norra = North
Södra = South
Östra = East
Västra = West
Mellersta = Central
Maps
Regions & Counties
Towns & Cities
North Sweden
Central Sweden
South Sweden
Skåne :-)
Sweden (whole)
Images taken from Google maps
