Nils Ola Toivonen (Swedish pronunciation: ; born 3 July 1986) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder and forward.
After beginning his career in his home town team of Degerfors, he spent time in the top flight for Örgryte before he got signed by Malmö FF before the 2007 season. Having spent two seasons with Malmö, breaking through with 14 league goals in 2008, he joined Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven in January 2009. Toivonen remained there for five-and-a-half seasons, winning the KNVB Cup in 2012, until a €2.5 million move to Rennes. After a successful spell with Rennes in Ligue 1, Toivonen had a stint with Sunderland in the Premier League before returning to France in 2016 to suit up for Toulouse. He played in Australia for Melbourne Victory between 2018 and 2020, and then returned to Malmö FF before officially retiring from professional football in 2022.
A full international for Sweden between 2007 and 2018, he earned 64 caps and scored 14 goals for his nation, and was part of their squads for UEFA Euro 2012 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup in which Sweden reached the Quarter-Finals .
On 21 August 2007, he scored a hat trick (including two penalties) for Sweden U21 against Wales U21 in a 4–3 friendly defeat. He was a member of the U-21 national team at the 2009 European Championship in Sweden and scored three times in the competition against Italy U21, Serbia U21, and a superb freekick against England U21 which contributed to a comeback from 3–0 down to 3–3 with Toivonen scoring the second goal.
Toivonen's full international debut came on 14 January 2007, when Sweden lost 2–0 away to Venezuela.
Leading up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Sweden played Bosnia and Herzegovina in a friendly on 29 May. Toivonen was included in the starting lineup, as Sweden were without striker Zlatan Ibrahimović. Toivonen scored the opening goal in the 44th minute, giving Sweden a lead at half time. This goal was Toivonen's first at international level. Blackburn Rovers defender Martin Olsson scored a brace in the second half, leading Sweden to a 4–2 win. On 11 August 2010, Toivonen started for the national side in a friendly against Scotland at the Råsunda Stadium in Stockholm. Toivonen grabbed Sweden's third goal in the 55th minute, his second international goal, helping to seal a 3–0 win for the home side.
In May 2018, he was named in Sweden's 23 man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He scored the first goal of the match in a 2–1 defeat to Germany on 23 June 2018. In August 2018, Toivonen announced his retirement from international football.
Toivonen is married to Emma and has two children, Selma and Nils.
Allsvenskan Hat-Trick 2022-10-30 |
2005-2006 |
2006-2007 |
2007-2009 |
2009-2014 |
2014-2016 |
2016-2018 |
2018-2020 |
2020-2023 |