Sven Rydell

Sven Rydell was born on January 14, 1905, in Gothenburg, Sweden. The son of a shoemaker, he began playing football with a small local club. He made his debut with the Holmens IS first team at just 15 years old. A talented young player, he quickly showed tremendous potential and was spotted by the then-big Swedish club, Örgryte IS, which he joined in 1924.

At his new club, the Swedish striker became one of the most popular players in his country and in Northern Europe. As a center forward, he excelled thanks to his incredible ability to capitalize on his team's chances. He scored a string of goals and won the Swedish championship twice, in 1926 and 1928.

But the player would cement his place in football legend at the 1924 Olympic Games, where, at just 19 years old, he was already one of the best strikers in the world, and he would prove it. In five matches in the competition, he scored six goals. He notably scored a hat-trick against Belgium in a resounding 8-1 victory. He also scored a brace against the Netherlands, which secured the bronze medal for his country.

Characterized as a "selfish" striker hungry for goals, he was extremely prolific and good at finishing moves. Criticized for his obsession with goal-scoring in his early days, this would ultimately become a strength, as the player was so adept at it. A very good dribbler, he liked to control the ball and dribble past his opponents before shooting and scoring.

He continued his international career until 1932, at the age of 27. An undisputed starter at the forefront of his team's attack, he scored a total of 49 goals in 43 matches for his country. These were impressive statistics for a player who would remain his country's top scorer for 82 years.

But his career was cut short when he was only 29. A serious injury forced him to retire. We will never know what this highly influential player would have become after his 30th birthday.

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