Gunnar Nordahl

Biography

Nils Gunnar Nordahl, born 19 October 1921 in Hörnefors in Västerbotten County, died 15 September 1995 in Alghero, Sardinia in Italy, was a Swedish footballer (centre forward) who in 1949 became Sweden's first professional footballer at a high level when he was signed by the Italian club AC Milan. Nordahl was previously a four-time Swedish champion for IFK Norrköping and the top scorer in the Swedish national team four times. He played in the Swedish national team that won gold at the 1948 London Olympics and scored a total of 43 goals in 33 international matches. As a professional in Italy, the Swede became one of the all-time top scorers in Serie A, whose scoring league he won five times between 1950 and 1956. He is still (January 2026) the third best scorer of all time in the league, after Silvio Piola and Francesco Totti. Nordahl is elected as member number 9 in the Swedish Football Hall of Fame.