Four young talents who made their mark on Damallsvenskan in 2026

Damallsvenskan, Sweden’s top tier of women’s football, has crowned its champions. Under new head coach Elena Sadiku, Häcken successfully defended their title, having also won the Europa Cup earlier in the year. Sweden regularly produces young talents who go on to join some of Europe’s biggest clubs, eventually becoming stars in WSL or Liga F. Let's take a look at the young players who caught our attention during the past season.

Fanny Peterson (Hammarby)

A name that simply cannot be left off this list. If you follow the next generation of rising stars, you have almost certainly heard of Fanny Peterson. Unfortunately, her successful season ended on a heartbreaking note. In one of the final matches, she suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, bringing a premature end to what had been an outstanding campaign, both domestically and in Europe.

Despite often coming off the bench, Peterson scored six league goals and added another two in the Svenska Cupen, helping Hammarby lift the trophy. However, it was her spectacular goals in the Europa Cup that really caught the attention. She made five appearances in the competition, with her two goals against Sparta Praha in the semi-finals sending Hammarby through to the final. Although Hammarby ultimately fell short of the European title, the quality of her finishing was a perfect example of football at its finest.

Despite having only recently celebrated her 17th birthday, Peterson has already received call-ups to Sweden's U23 national team. She also reached the semi-finals of the U19 European Championship with Sweden.

Nova Selin (AIK Stockholm)

From Hammarby to their city rivals, where another exciting young talent has been making her mark. AIK academy graduate Nova Selin has become one of the club's key players despite having only recently turned 18.

Her two goals past Swedish international goalkeeper Zećira Mušović earned AIK a valuable draw against Malmö FF. Selin has enjoyed her most productive season to date and has also established herself as an important player for Sweden's U19 and U23 national teams.

Thelma Pálmadóttir (BK Häcken)

Of course, we cannot overlook champions BK Häcken, where one of the biggest stars was Felicia Schröder. The Swedish superstar finished previous season as the league's top scorer and helped Häcken win the Europa Cup with a hattrick in the final. Her performances attracted interest from several of Europe's biggest clubs before she eventually chose Real Madrid, who paid over €1.5 million for her transfer.

However, following Schröder's departure, another young talent deserves attention: Iceland's Thelma Pálmadóttir. The 18-year-old was playing her first season in Damallsvenskan after joining Häcken from Icelandic side Hafnarfjörður.

In her debut campaign, Pálmadóttir recorded six goals and six assists. She also scored against Hammarby in a match that effectively secured Häcken the league title. Her impressive performances earned her a first call-up to Iceland's senior national team, where she is now involved in the country's Women's World Cup qualification campaign. She has already scored her first international goal.

Thindra Mattsson (IK Uppsala/AIK Stockholm)

To finish, a promising young defender. Mattsson joined AIK in August from IK Uppsala, a club that has unfortunately ended at the end of the season.  Although she initially had to work her way into the team and gradually earn more playing time, she eventually developed into a valuable member of the Stockholm side's defence.

Moving to AIK was a bold step for Mattsson, and we believe that next season she can prove herself to be just as reliable and important a player for AIK as she was at Uppsala.