Smilla Holmberg

Smilla Holmberg

Holmberg with Hammarby IF in 2025
Personal information
Full name	Smilla Hilma Holmberg
Date of birth	(2006-10-11) 11 October 2006 (age 19)
Place of birth	Stockholm, Sweden
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Position	Right-back
Team information
Current team	Arsenal
Number	31
Youth career
2013–2022	Hammarby IF
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2022	Älvsjö	1	(0)
2022–2026	Hammarby IF	67	(8)
2026–	Arsenal	1	(0)
International career‡
2022–2023	Sweden U17	16	(1)
2023–2025	Sweden U19	22	(1)
2024	Sweden U23	3	(0)
2025–	Sweden	11	(1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 10 January 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 06 January 2026

Smilla Hilma Holmberg (born 11 October 2006) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Women's Super League club Arsenal and the Swedish national team.

Early life

Smilla Holmberg was born on 11 October 2006 and grew up on Södermalm in Stockholm. She began playing football at the age of seven with Hammarby IF, having previously tried several other sports. Holmberg progressed through Hammarby's youth academy and made her senior debut for the club at the age of 15. ^[1]

Club career

Holmberg made one senior appearance for Älvsjö AIK in 2022 before joining Hammarby IF’s first team later the same year. In late 2022, she trained with Olympique Lyonnais during a visit to France while still under contract with Hammarby. ^[2]

Holmberg debuted in a Svenska Cupen match in late 2022 and became a regular part of the squad during the 2023 season, contributing to the club’s Damallsvenskan and Svenska Cupen titles. ^[1]

In May 2024, she extended her contract with Hammarby until the end of 2026. ^[3] During the 2025 season, Holmberg emerged as one of the team's top scorers, registering four goals and one assist in the opening four league matches. ^[4]

On 5 January 2026, it was announced Holmberg had signed for English side Arsenal. ^{[5] [6]} On 10 January 2026, Holmberg made her Arsenal debut, coming on as a substitute in the 83rd minute, in a 0-0 draw against Manchester United. ^[7]

International career

On 11 June 2025, Holmberg received her first call-up for the Sweden senior national team, when she was included in Peter Gerhardsson's 23-player squad for the UEFA Euro 2025 in Switzerland. Aged 18, she was the youngest player in the squad. ^[8]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 10 January 2026 ^{[9] [10]}

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ^[9]

Club	Season	League			National cup [a]		League Cup		Europe		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Älvsjö AIK	2022	Elitettan	1	0	—		—		—		1	0
Hammarby IF	2022	Damallsvenskan	3	0	4	0	—		—		7	0
	2023	Damallsvenskan	13	0	5	0	—		—		18	0
	2024	Damallsvenskan	25	2	6	0	—		7 [b]	0	38	2
	2025	Damallsvenskan	26	6	1	1	—		6 [c]	1	33	8
	Total		67	8	16	1	0	0	13	1	96	10
Arsenal	2025–26	Women's Super League	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Career total			69	6	15	0	0	0	13	1	98	10

1. Includes Svenska Cupen and Women's FA Cup
2. Appearances in UEFA Women's Champions League
3. Two appearances in UEFA Women's Champions League, four appearances and one goal in UEFA Women's Europa Cup

International

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	12 July 2025	Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland	Germany	2–1	4–1	UEFA Women's Euro 2025

Honours

Hammarby IF

• Svenska Cupen: 2022–23, 2024–25
• Damallsvenskan: 2023

References

1. Sjöberg, Jonathan (4 October 2023). "16-åriga Smilla Holmberg om drömmarna: "Vill komma ut i Europa"". Fotbollskanalen. TV4. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
2. "Avslöjar: Bajentalang tränar med Lyon". Fotbollskanalen. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
3. "Officiellt: Hammarby förlänger med Smilla Holmberg". Fotbolldirekt. 2 May 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
4. "Talangernas målsuccé i damallsvenskan". SVT Sport. 25 April 2025. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
5. "Smilla Holmberg joins Arsenal". Arsenal. 5 January 2026. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
6. "Smilla Holmberg: Arsenal sign Sweden defender from Hammarby". BBC Sport. 5 January 2026. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
7. "Report: Arsenal Women 0-0 Manchester United". Arsenal. 10 January 2026. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
8. "Svenska EM-truppen 2025" [Swedish European Championship squad 2025] (in Swedish). Swedish Football Association. 11 June 2025. Archived from the original on 15 June 2025. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
9. Svenskfotboll.se – Smilla Holmberg
10. "S. Holmberg". Soccerway. Retrieved 10 January 2026.

External links

• Smilla Holmberg at FBref.com
• Smilla Holmberg at kicker (in German)
• Smilla Holmberg at the Swedish Football Association (in Swedish)