Why Sweden’s top football league has awarded four medals instead of three for decades

Countries & Cities · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Allsvenskan is a unique football institution that has run uninterrupted since 1924, even through the turmoil of World War II. While most leagues crown winners with standard hardware, this Swedish competition maintains a peculiar tradition of awarding four distinct medals, a quirk rooted in the history of older domestic tournaments.

Founded in January 1924, Allsvenskan serves as the pinnacle of the Swedish football pyramid. Unlike many European counterparts, the league maintained an unbroken streak of seasons throughout the 1940s, benefiting from Sweden's neutrality during the Second World War. Today, 16 clubs compete in a 30-match season that runs from spring through autumn, a schedule adopted in 1959 to align with the calendar year.

The league's medal system is notably distinct. Rather than the standard gold, silver, and bronze, the top four finishers receive gold, large silver, small silver, and bronze medals respectively. This custom is believed to stem from the defunct Svenska Mästerskapet tournament, where semi-final losers were traditionally awarded bronze medals in the absence of a third-place playoff. This structure ensures that the fourth-placed team is formally recognized, a rarity in modern professional sports.

The league's identity has also evolved through its symbols. For nearly a century, the championship trophy was named after Clarence von Rosen, the inaugural leader of the Swedish Football Association. However, the association retired the trophy in 2000 after reports surfaced regarding von Rosen's historical ties to Nazi leader Hermann Göring. It was replaced by the Lennart Johanssons Pokal, named for the former UEFA chairman, to distance the sport from associations with Nazism.

Success in Allsvenskan is measured by more than just league titles, as the definition of 'Swedish Champion' has shifted over time. Between 1982 and 1992, the title was decided via separate playoff formats rather than league standing alone. Today, clubs like Malmö FF, IFK Göteborg, and IFK Norrköping dominate the historical record, with stars on their kits signifying 10 championship titles—a tradition that became common practice in 2006.

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