Of the 26 players called up by Graham Potter for the 2026 World Cup, seven came through IF Brommapojkarna: Viktor Gyokeres (67 appearances for Brommapojkarna), Lucas Bergvall (12), Carl Starfelt (101), Daniel Svensson (9), Jesper Karlstrom (53), Hjalmar Ekdal (youth teams) and Kristoffer Nordfeldt (105). And if it weren't for the serious knee injury that has kept him off the pitch for over a year, Dejan Kulusevski (youth teams) would have made it eight.
The club from Stockholm's western suburbs doesn't have the biggest stadium in Sweden, nor the most packed stands. But it alone has produced the backbone of the entire national team. It's often said to be the biggest club in Europe, not in terms of trophies, but literally the one that welcomes the most players into its academy.
A culture above all else
At Brommapojkarna, everything starts with one word: culture. Erik Ryden, a coach at the club for 15 years and in charge of the 13-14 age group, keeps coming back to it: "I think it's the culture, the culture in the academy and in the club. If you play at BP as an academy player, you're here because you want to give your best."
Most of the Swedish internationals at the World Cup joined the club around the age of six or seven. Starfelt, Bergvall, Nordfeldt, and Kulusevski, who is out injured, all arrived at that age. Gyokeres, Svensson and Karlstrom joined the academy a bit later, at around 12 or 13. "But most, at least four players, have been here from the very beginning, since they were six."
What Ryden describes is less a training system than a long-term education. "The most important thing at Bromma is the culture to develop this type of player and to build the mentality of always giving their best, having a good mindset and the mentality to win matches the right way, and also to try to grow as a person."
Legacy for players and coaches alike
A culture at Brommapojkarna is tied to a legacy that is passed down: "Most of the coaches have been here for a long time. Most of them were first players here, then became coaches in the academy, and they also helped build the culture."
One name keeps coming up, a living symbol of this tradition: Tommy Soderstrom. "He's been here maybe 40, 45 years. He's now about 65. And he's seen every player come through here since the beginning." Rydwn insists: "It's a family club. And that means the coaches stay, and the players are looked after."
This stability among the staff creates a trusting environment where young players can develop over the long term, with a philosophy that is passed down year after year: "The player always comes first. If you have a good player, you look and discuss: how can we develop him, first and foremost?"
The club also makes it a point that everyone can play, both those in the academy destined for a bright future and those who are at the club and go home in the evening: "You can progress at your own level within the club, and if you're the best or have the most potential, you can join the academy. Otherwise, you have the chance to play in another club team, which is also at a good level."
Technique as a foundation
In terms of football philosophy, Brommapojkarna has historically stood out for prioritising technical work from a very young age. "When the players are still young, around eight to eleven or twelve years old, there's a very strong focus on technical training, compared to other clubs here in Sweden." A deliberate choice, going against the trend of early physical development.
And when it's time to refine player profiles, around 13 or 14, the club adapts its approach to each individual rather than forcing players into a set mold. "At Brommapojkarna, it's more like: here, we have these good players with these qualities, and we try to help them reach their highest potential in our team. We look first at the player's qualities, before looking at the club's playing identity." This partly explains how two such different profiles as Gyokeres - powerful, direct, focused on physical duels - and Bergvall - a technical, elegant playmaker - could both thrive in the same place.
The "biggest club in Europe"
It's not an oxymoron: Brommapojkarna is both a modest club on the professional scene and a talent factory of exceptional scale. Located in the western suburbs of Stockholm, the club has about 4,500 registered members and fields more than 250 teams across all age groups, from the youngest to senior men's and women's teams playing in the top division. There are around 700 coaches and staff running this "talent factory." That's why it's considered the largest football club in Europe by volume, with its pride not in trophies but in the young talents it has seen grow up.
The academy welcomes hundreds of children each season, organised into many teams at every level. "In the U16s, we have three Brommapojkarna teams in the highest national level for that age group." This depth of talent is itself a development tool: "It's also important to create good players by having a lot of players available."
For a long time, this focus on youth development had a downside: the best players left early, often snapped up by elite Swedish clubs before they could be exported abroad. "It was a problem that our players left a bit too early. Before, we lost players to other Swedish clubs because we weren't at the top level, says Ryden, who assures that things are improving. "But today our first team has played in Allsvenskan, the Swedish top division, for four years. If we can stay in Allsvenskan, we have a good chance to keep our players and let them play in the highest Swedish league. And then we can sell them directly to English, German, or Dutch clubs."
"If you want to be a Sweden player, this is the best club you can be at"
In the academy's hallways, the walls tell the club's story. In the training centrr, one corridor is dedicated to those who have made their mark: on one side, those playing in Allsvenskan; on the other, those who have worn the national team jersey. "We try to show young players photos of these players, Victor Gyokeres or Bergvall, Kulusevski. They were in this locker room when they were your age. We try to inspire them." And sometimes, those idols come back in person. "In the summer or during holidays, they come to Stromas or Glimsta, our facilities, and visit the young players. That's also important."
Ryden, who is still in touch with some of the World Cup players, describes bonds that don't really fade over time. "I think all these players have a very good feeling for Brommapojkarna and a sense of gratitude towards Brommapojkarna." This emotional loyalty, in turn, helps with recruitment. "If you want to be a World Cup player with Sweden, this is the best organisation and the best club you can be at if you want to reach your potential."
And tomorrow?
When asked who in the current academy could follow in the footsteps of their predecessors, Ryden doesn't hesitate. "We might have Love Arrhov. He's at Frankfurt now, in the Bundesliga. He was born in 2008. I think he has a good chance. Frankfurt signed him last winter for about 7 million euro." He's part of this new generation who played in Allsvenskan (20 matches) for Brommapojkarna before being transferred directly to Germany at age 17 last January.
Lucas Bergvall took a different path: he left BP at 16 after 12 matches for Djurgarden, signed for Tottenham at 18, and was a starter at 20 in the World Cup.
"Bergvall has been the best from the start," says Ryden. But for Gyokeres, Svensson and Starfelt, the road was more winding: "They've always been good players, but maybe not the best right from the start. That said, they're players with a good mindset who love to train and do physical preparation, that kind of thing. So, from that point of view, it doesn't surprise me. It's good to see that there's not just one path for all players. Each player has their own journey to becoming a World Cup player." At Brommapojkarna, they produce footballers. But above all, they teach children to find their own way.