Matilda Nildén
Swedish footballer (born 2004)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Matilda Elsa Engla Nildén (born 10 November 2004) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a forward for English Women's Super League club Tottenham Hotspur. She has previously played in Sweden for Damallsvenskan and Elitettan clubs IF Brommapojkarna, AIK, and BK Häcken.
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Nildén with BK Häcken in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Matilda Elsa Engla Nildén[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 10 November 2004[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Danderyd, Sweden[3] | ||
| Height | 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)[3] | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Tottenham Hotspur | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2010–2020 | IF Brommapojkarna | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020 | IF Brommapojkarna | 16 | (2) |
| 2021–2023 | AIK | 60 | (25) |
| 2021 | → Bollstanäs SK (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | BK Häcken | 49 | (8) |
| 2026– | Tottenham Hotspur | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021 | Sweden U17 | 3 | (1) |
| 2022–2023 | Sweden U19 | 17 | (7) |
| 2023– | Sweden U23 | 21 | (4) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:48, 31 December 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 16:48, 31 December 2025 (UTC) | |||
Club career
Brommapojkarna
Nildén started playing for Stockholm-based club IF Brommapojkarna around the age of 6. She was moved to the club's under-17 team in 2020 and quickly rose through the ranks to the under-19 squad. The same year, she signed her first professional contract with the club. She made her senior debut in a practice match just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit; during the game, she scored a hat-trick after coming on as a halftime substitute.[4] She left Brommapojkarna in 2021 in search of new development opportunities.[5]
AIK
In the summer of 2021, top-flight club AIK recruited Nildén.[6] She made her Damallsvenskan debut in August 2021 at the age of 16[7] and went on to play in ten games in her first season for AIK.[8] She also spent the end of 2021 on loan in the Elitettan for Bollstanäs SK alongside multiple other young players from AIK.[9] She scored her first Damallsvenskan goal in 2022, in a loss to Nildén's future club BK Häcken. She started a total of 17 matches as AIK were relegated down to the Elitettan after finishing the 2022 Damallsvenskan in last place.[6][8]
In August 2023, Nildén went viral after being soaked by a stadium water sprinkler during a halftime interview in a game against Eskilstuna United. Nevertheless, she returned to the field in the second half and scored to help AIK win the match.[10][11] Goalscoring would prove to be a common trend throughout the season for Nildén, who scored 23 times across 25 matches. She finished in second place in the Elitettan goal leaderboard, just behind Adelisa Grabus.[12] In September 2023, she recorded a hat-trick against Trelleborgs FF to secure a top 3 finish in the league;[13] AIK would reach even greater heights, winning the Elitettan title several games early, finishing the season undefeated,[7] and scoring a record 97 goals.[8] At the end of the year, Nildén chose not to extend her contract with the club, sparking backlash from the AIK fanbase.[14]
BK Häcken
Nildén's performances for AIK caught the eye of many clubs, including multiple in the Damallsvenskan.[15][6] In January 2024, she decided on BK Häcken FF, signing through the 2026 season.[16][17] On 9 March 2024, she registered a debut goal in a cup match against Växjö DFF within only a few minutes of entering the game.[18] She scored her first league goal for the club in May 2024, netting the game-tying goal that sparked a late Häcken comeback against her former team, AIK.[19] Over the rest of the season, Nildén struggled to earn significant playing time as Häcken finished the year as Damallsvenskan runners-up. However, she ended the season on a positive note, scoring two goals against another one of her former clubs, IF Brommapojkarna, to guarantee Häcken's second-place league finish.[20]
The following year, Nildén kicked off the season with a bang, tallying two goals against Vittsjo in a 7–1 cup victory.[21] She went on to start 11 of her 25 Damallsvenskan matches across the year.[22] She helped Häcken win the 2025 Damallsvenskan title, the club's first since 2020.[23] She departed from the club having recorded 48 appearances and 8 goals across two years of league competition.[22]
Tottenham Hotspur
On 31 December 2025, English Women's Super League club Tottenham Hotspur announced that they had acquired Nildén from Häcken for an undisclosed transfer fee and signed her to a long-term contract.[15][24] The move reunited Nildén with her sister, Amanda, as well as former Häcken teammates Hanna Wijk and Josefine Rybrink.[25]
International career
Nildén has played for the Swedish U17, U19, and U23 youth national teams.[22] She has made 17 appearances for the under-17 team, multiple of which were as a member of the squad that made it to the semifinals of the 2022 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship. Nildén made her first appearance for the under-23 team in the summer of 2023, capping off her debut with a goal against China.[10] She has gone on to record 4 goals in 21 appearances for the U17s across three years.[16]
Personal life
Born in Daneryd,[3] Nildén went to high school in Stockholm.[5]
Nildén's grandfather, Jim Nildén, made over 120 Allsvenskan appearances for AIK's men's team, while her father, David, played one season for the same club.[18] Her sister, Amanda, plays for the Sweden national team and with Matilda at Tottenham Hotspur.[4] Her brother, Charlie, also plays professionally.[26]
