Sweden

Football arrived in Sweden through the ports and factories of the late nineteenth century and never left. The Allsvenskan, founded in 1924, is among Europe's oldest and most balanced leagues, played from April to November because of the Nordic winter and dominated over the decades by Malmö FF, IFK Göteborg (the only Swedish club to win European silverware, with two UEFA Cups) and the Stockholm sides. The national team boasts a respectable record for a country of ten million: World Cup runners up at home in 1958 against Pelé's Brazil, third place in 1994 and Olympic gold in 1948, besides giving the world Nils Liedholm, Henrik Larsson, who made Celtic's hoops his home, and Zlatan Ibrahimović, who needs no introduction. It is also a land of fervent fan culture, with standing terraces, choreographies and clubs governed by the Swedish version of the 50+1 rule, where members are in charge. On the Hoopster map, Sweden debuts through Västerås SK, proof that even in the land of yellow and blue stripes, some wear green and white hoops.