Magdalena Eriksson

2.1. Education and Interests

Eriksson pursued higher education, earning a Bachelor's degree in political science. Her academic interests also extended to social theory, as she undertook studies in feminist theory and intersectional power analysis. These academic pursuits highlight her commitment to understanding and addressing social issues, aligning with her later advocacy work.

2.2. Name Origin

There is a common misunderstanding regarding the spelling of Eriksson's last name. During her upbringing, she believed her surname was spelled "Ericsson" with a 'C', as that was how her father spelled it. It was only at the age of 17, upon examining her passport, that she realized the correct spelling was "Eriksson" with a 'K'. This personal anecdote explains why her last name is frequently misspelled as "Ericsson" rather than the accurate "Eriksson."

3.1. Early Career

Eriksson began her football journey with her local team, Enskede IK. Her father encouraged her to join Hammarby IF to further develop her skills. At the age of 17, she made her debut for Hammarby's first team in the 2011 Damallsvenskan season, playing against Umeå IK. Following Hammarby's relegation from the Damallsvenskan in 2011, Eriksson moved to their Stockholm rivals, Djurgårdens IF, in November of the same year. During the 2012 Damallsvenskan season, she scored one goal in 19 appearances for Djurgården before the club also faced relegation.

3.2. Linköpings FC

After Djurgården's relegation, Eriksson joined Linköpings FC in December 2012. She spent nearly five successful years with the club, contributing significantly to their achievements. During her tenure, Linköpings FC won two Svenska Cupen titles in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. A major highlight of her time there was winning the Damallsvenskan league title in 2016. The club also finished as runners-up in the Svenska Cupen in 2015-16 and in the Svenska Supercupen in both 2015 and 2016.

3.3. Chelsea

In July 2017, Eriksson signed a two-year contract with Women's Super League team Chelsea Ladies. She quickly became an integral part of the team, leading to a contract extension in August 2018 until 2021. In 2019, she was appointed team captain, demonstrating her leadership qualities and influence within the squad. Her contract was further extended in November 2020, committing her to Chelsea until 2023. On December 9, 2020, Eriksson made her 100th appearance for Chelsea in a dominant 5-0 Champions League victory over Benfica.

Her consistent high-level performances, particularly during Chelsea's WSL title-winning 2020-21 season, earned her widespread recognition as one of the best central defenders in Europe. After six impactful years with Chelsea, during which she made over 180 appearances and secured more than 10 major trophies, Eriksson departed the club at the end of the 2022-23 season. Her partner, Pernille Harder, also left Chelsea at the same time.

3.4. Bayern Munich

On June 1, 2023, Eriksson and Pernille Harder were jointly announced as new signings for the Frauen-Bundesliga club Bayern Munich, both signing three-year contracts. Eriksson's initial period with Bayern Munich was impacted by injury; in December 2023, she sustained a broken metatarsal in her left foot during a Champions League match against Ajax, which necessitated surgery. She successfully completed her recovery and returned to the team three months later, in March 2024, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 5-0 league victory over RB Leipzig.

4.1. Youth National Teams

Eriksson's international career began with Sweden's youth national teams. She played for the Under-15, Under-16, Under-17, Under-19, and Under-23 squads. A notable achievement during her youth career was being part of the victorious Swedish Under-19 squad that won the 2012 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship in Turkey.

4.2. Senior National Team

In November 2013, national team coach Pia Sundhage called Eriksson to a senior squad training camp at Bosön. She made her debut for the senior Sweden team on February 8, 2014, in a 3-0 friendly defeat against France in Amiens.

Since her debut, Eriksson has consistently represented Sweden in every major international tournament, demonstrating her enduring importance to the national squad. Her participation includes:

• The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where Sweden earned a silver medal in the women's football tournament.
• UEFA Women's Euro 2017.
• The 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, where Sweden secured a bronze medal.
• The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where Sweden again won a silver medal in the women's tournament, narrowly losing to Canada in the final via a penalty shootout.
• UEFA Women's Euro 2022.
• The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, where Sweden once again claimed a bronze medal.

5.1. Family and Relationships

Eriksson has Finnish heritage through her mother. She is openly lesbian and has been in a relationship with Danish international footballer Pernille Harder since 2014. Their relationship is one of the most prominent in women's football, often highlighted for its visibility and positive impact. In July 2024, after over a decade together, Eriksson and Harder announced their engagement.

5.2. LGBTQ+ Rights Advocacy

Magdalena Eriksson and Pernille Harder are active collaborators with the Common Goal charity. Through this initiative, they have pledged 1% of their salaries to support various social issues addressed through football globally. Both Eriksson and Harder are passionate advocates for equality and LGBTQ+ rights within sports and society more broadly. They utilize their high public profiles to challenge discrimination and promote inclusivity, serving as significant role models for the LGBTQ+ community and allies worldwide. Their consistent efforts underscore a powerful commitment to making football a more welcoming and equitable environment for everyone.

6.1. Club Statistics

This table details appearances and goals by club, season, and competition. The "National cup" column includes the Svenska Cupen Damer and Women's FA Cup. The "League cup" column includes the FA Women's League Cup. The "Continental" column includes the UEFA Women's Champions League. The "Other" column includes appearances in the Svenska Supercupen and the DFB-Supercup Frauen.

6.2. International Goals

This table lists Magdalena Eriksson's goals scored for the Sweden national team. Sweden's goal tally is listed first, and the score column indicates the score after each Eriksson goal.

7.1. Club Honours

• Linköpings FC
  • Damallsvenskan: 2016
  • Svenska Cupen: 2013-14, 2014-15
  • Svenska Cupen runner-up: 2015-16
  • Svenska Supercupen runner-up: 2015, 2016
• Chelsea
  • Women's Super League: 2017-18, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23
  • Women's FA Cup: 2017-18, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23
  • FA Women's League Cup: 2019-20, 2020-21
  • FA Community Shield: 2020
• Bayern Munich
  • Frauen-Bundesliga: 2023-24
  • DFB-Supercup: 2024

7.2. International Honours

• Sweden U19
  • UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship: 2012
• Sweden
  • Summer Olympic Games silver medal: 2016, 2020
  • FIFA Women's World Cup third place: 2019, 2023
  • Algarve Cup: 2018

7.3. Individual Honours

• Diamantbollen (Swedish Footballer of the Year): 2020
• Fotbollsgalan - Swedish Defender of the Year: 2020, 2021
• FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2021
• FA WSL PFA Team of the Year: 2019-20, 2020-21
• The 100 Best Female Footballers in the World (The Guardian rankings):
  • 2019: 77th place
  • 2020: 25th place
  • 2021: 11th place
  • 2022: 43rd place
  • 2023: 53rd place
• Nominated for the Ballon d'Or Féminin: 2021 (11th place)