Amanda Ilestedt

Amanda Ilestedt (born 17 January 1993) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Women’s Super League club Arsenal and the Sweden national team.

Club career
Ilestedt started playing football in her birthplace with the local Sölvesborgs GIF and moved up to their first team in 2006. After one season, she signed with Karlskrona FF in 2007. In 2009 she moved to LdB FC Malmö, initially playing for the B team. She broke into the Damallsvenskan side in 2010, playing ten league games and winning the championship.

In August 2011, she moved on loan to the second division club Vittsjö GIK. After one season, she moved back to LdB FC Malmö, which changed their name to FC Rosengård in 2013. Rosengård reached the quarter-finals of the 2014–15 Champions League, in which she met defending champions VfL Wolfsburg. After the 1-1 draw with Wolfsburg and the 3-3 draw in the second leg, she and her team were eliminated from the competition due to the away goals rule. Ilestedt played over ninety minutes in all six games.

In June 2017, Ilestedt joined German club Turbine Potsdam on a two-year deal. In May 2019, she moved to fellow German side Bayern Munich, signing a contract until June 2021. She made her debut for Bayern on August 17, 2019, first matchday, in the 3-1 away win against SC Freiburg. Against SC Freiburg in the home game on December 6, 2019, she scored her first Bundesliga goal in the 81st minute. She scored four goals from 18 league matches in 2020–21 season, helping the club to win their first league title in five years.

On July 12, 2021, Ilestedt joined French club Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal. In the 2021–22 Champions League she played in five of six group games and scored one goal. On June 17, 2023, PSG announced she would leave at the end of her contract after two years in the French capital.

On June 27, 2023, Arsenal announced the signing of Ilestedt. She scored her first goal for Arsenal on November 23, 2023 in the Conti Cup match against Southampton, giving her team a 2-1 victory in the 92nd minute.

International career
From 2009 Ilestedt took part with the under-17 national team in qualifying for the 2010 European Championship, but lost in the second round at the under-17 national team of Ireland. In 2012 she won the European Championship with the U19 national team, of which she was captain, and thus the second title for a Swedish selection after 1999.

Ilestedt made her debut for the senior Sweden team in a 4–1 win over England in a European Championship preparation game on 4 July 2013. Coach Pia Sundhage named Ilestedt in the Sweden squad for Euro 2013. In May 2015 she was nominated for the 2015 World Cup. She was used in all four games, but retired with her team in the round of 16 against the Germany national team from the tournament. In 2018 she played four international matches, two of them in the Algarve Cup tournament.

On May 16, she was nominated for the 2019 World Cup. In the tournament, she was used in three of seven games. Her only ninety-minute appearance was in the group final against the United States national team, which they lost 2–0. As group runners-up, they reached the knockout stages, where she came on as a 66th-minute substitute against the German team in the quarter-finals. The Swedes won another competitive match against Germany after 24 years, thereby qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Football Tournament. Her third appearance was in the 3rd place match against the England national team, which was won 2–1 by coming on as a substitute after 72 minutes.

In the successful qualification for Euro 2022, she was used five times, scoring two goals.

She was nominated for the national team squad for the Olympic Football Tournament to be held in Japan from July 21 to August 7, 2021. During the games, she was used in all games, making one and one substitution. In the end, the Swedes won the silver medal.

For the successful qualification for the 2023 World Cup, she was always nominated and played six times, always playing full time and scoring two goals. She was used in her team's five games at the finals of the European Championship in England, which was also postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With a 4–0 defeat against hosts England, the Swedes were eliminated in the semi-finals.

On 23 July 2023, Ilestedt was included in the 23-player squad for the 2023 World Cup. Her late goal gave Sweden the win in their opening match against South Africa. It was her first goal at a World Cup. On 29 July 2023 she scored 2 goals in their 2nd group stage match against Italy. She scored her 4th goal of the World Cup on 11 August 2023 in the quarter-final win against Japan. She was her country's top scorer in the tournament, and one goal behind Golden Boot winner Hinata Miyazawa.

Style of play
Ilestedt is renowned for her heading technique. Three of her four 2023 World Cup goals were headers. In the Arsenal fan song it reads: "It's Amanda Ilestedt - Better in the air than Ryanair or Easyjet."

Personal life
Oliver Ekman-Larsson of the National Hockey League (NHL) is Ilestedt's cousin. Their grandfather is ice hockey player Kenneth Ekman and their first cousins, twice removed are professional cyclists the Fåglum brothers. Her great uncle is ice hockey player Sven Tumba.

On 13 March 2024, Ilestedt announced her first pregnancy with her German boyfriend Rainer Müller.

International

 * Scores and results list Sweden's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ilestedt goal.

Honours

 * LdB FC Malmö / Rosengård
 * Damallsvenskan: 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014
 * Svenska Supercupen: 2011, 2012, 2015


 * FC Bayern Munich
 * Frauen-Bundesliga: 2020–21


 * Paris Saint-Germain
 * Coupe de France féminine: 2021–22
 * Sweden U19
 * UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship: 2012
 * Sweden


 * Summer Olympic Games Silver Medal: 2016


 * FIFA Women's World Cup third place: 2019, 2023


 * Algarve Cup: 2018
 * Individual


 * FIFA Women's World Cup Bronze Ball: 2023
 * IFFHS Women's World Team of the Year: 2023