Founding (1891–1896) The
club was founded in 1891 by a group of young
athletes living in the borough and port district on
Djurgården in central
Stockholm. Inspired by the Norwegian
His Majesty the King's Guard and their
ski jumping exhibitions in Stockholm, the adolescents of the area contested diverse sports against each other both summertime and wintertime. Jansson became the first chairman.
Initial achievements (1897–1923) In 1897,
Gustaf Söderström became Djurgårdens IF's first Swedish champion when he won the
shot put (both hands), event at the
Swedish Athletics Championships. He repeated the achievement the following year, and also won the
discus throw event. Söderström also competed in the
1900 Summer Olympics and won the
tug of war event. Club mate
Karl Gustaf Staaf was also in the Denmark–Sweden mixed team that won. The football department was formed in 1899 with the help of former
GAIS player
Theodor Andersson. The team played its first match in July 1899, a 1–2 loss against
AIK. Soon started a strong and close competition with neighbouring club
AIK, which both had been founded within a month in 1891. The two rivals play the
Tvillingderbyt. In 1900,
Ernst Ekberg became the clubs first Swedish champion in
racewalking, winning the 5000 metres event. In 1910,
N. A. Hedjerson won the first
Swedish championship title in
cross-country skiing, the 30 km event. Einar Olsson, who had joined Djurgårdens IF in 1905, would become national champion in
ski jumping,
Nordic combined,
ski orienteering and
football. In 1911, Hedjerson,
Albin Sandström, and
Alfred Sandström won the club's first Swedish championship in
ski orienteering by winning the relay event. At the
1912 Summer Olympics, Djurgården athlete
Erik Almlöf represented
Sweden and won a bronze medal in the
men's triple jump event. The same year the
men's football team won its first national championship title, winning the
1912 Svenska Mästerskapet final with a team consisting of
Gösta Backlund,
Gösta Dahlberg,
Götrik Frykman,
Victor Jansson,
Valdemar Johannison,
Gösta Karlsson,
Bertil Nordenskjöld,
Nils Öhman,
Einar Olsson,
Jean Söderberg, and
Ragnar Wicksell. From 1913 to 1919, Djurgården ski jumpers won seven consecutive national championships in
ski jumping with
Nils Lindh claiming three,
Einar Olsson three and
Menotti Jakobsson one. The club won its first Swedish championship title in
boxing in 1920 when
David Lindén won the men's light heavyweight title. At the
same Olympics, Djurgården wrestler
Fritiof Svensson won a bronze medal in the
men's Greco-Roman featherweight event. In 1922, Svensson became
wrestling world champion at the
1922 World Wrestling Championships, held at
Cirkus in Stockholm. In 1926, the
ice hockey team won its first
Swedish championship. In the final, they beat
Västerås IK, 7–1. The title winning team consisted of
Ruben Allinger,
Folke Andersson,
Sune Andersson,
Wilhelm Arwe,
Nils Johansson,
Ernst Karlberg,
Erik Lindgren, and
Walter Söderman. and
Ernst Karlberg – was part of
Sweden's bronze medal winning team in the
men's tournament. Also in 1928,
Bertil Nordenskjöld became the chairman of Djurgården. Gentzel then also won the 800 metres event at the 1929, 1930, and 1931 Swedish Athletics Championships. At the
1928 Summer Olympics, Djurgården boxer
Nils Ramm represented
Sweden and won a silver medal in the
men's heavyweight event. In the 1931 season, the
bandy team competed in the first national bandy league, the
Division 1. At the
1932 Summer Olympics, Djurgården wrestler
Einar Karlsson represented
Sweden and won a bronze medal in the
men's freestyle featherweight event. In 1933,
Östen Eriksson became the club's first national champion in
bowling when he won the men's individual event. In 1948, the club took its first Swedish championship titles in table tennis.
Football and ice hockey heydays (1950–1969) The 1950s and 1960s would see nine
Swedish ice hockey championship titles and four
Swedish football championship titles for Djurgårdens IF. In 1950, the
men's ice hockey team won its second
national title. Between 1952 and 1964,
Edvin Vesterby won ten national wrestling titles in the
freestyle 57 kg event, missing only 1953, 1958, and 1962. On four occasions during the period he also won the corresponding titles in the
Greco-Roman bantamweight event. At the
1952 Winter Olympics, five Djurgården ice hockey players –
Hans Andersson-Tvilling,
Stig Andersson-Tvilling,
Lasse Björn,
Gösta Johansson, and
Sven Johansson – was part of
Sweden's bronze medal winning team in the
men's tournament. At the
1952 Summer Olympics, Djurgården footballer
Gösta Sandberg was part of
Sweden's bronze medal winning team in the
tournament. In 1954, the
men's ice hockey team again won the
national title, its third. In 1955, the
men's football team made its debut in
European competition and played
Gwardia Warsaw of Poland in its first match. The home leg at the
Stockholm Olympic Stadium ended 0–0. In the return leg, Djurgården won 4–1, after three goals from
John Eriksson and one from
Gösta Sandberg, and progressed to the next leg. and
Swedish champions. Pictured: rear row from left:
Gösta Johansson,
Rolf Berggren,
Yngve Karlsson,
Roland Stoltz,
Arne Boman,
Lasse Björn; front row from left:
Bengt Larsson,
Bertz Zetterberg,
Yngve Johansson, and
Sven Johansson and
Swedish champions. Pictured: rear row from left:
Hans Karlsson,
Lars Broström,
John Eriksson,
Birger Eklund,
Eje Nilsson,
Gösta Sandberg; front row from left:
Olle Hellström,
Stig Gustafsson,
Arne Arvidsson,
Hans Mild, and
Sigge Parling In 1958, the
men's ice hockey team won its fifth
national title and started a period of six consecutive titles until 1963. Starting in 1959,
Kathinka Frisk won the
alpine skiing Swedish championship titles in women's
downhill event four consecutive times.
Carl-Göran Öberg,
Roland Stoltz – was part of
Sweden's silver medal winning team in the
men's tournament. In 1964, the
men's football team won its seventh
national title by winning the
1964 Allsvenskan.
1970–1988 against
Feyenoord at
Feijenoord Stadion,
Rotterdam, during the
1976–77 UEFA Cup Starting in 1972, the Djurgården men's fencing team won four consecutive titles in the men's epée event, with
Leif Högström and
Hans Jacobson contributing to all four;
Göran Andersson and
Carl von Essen to three,
Jaan Veanes to two and
Göran Flodström,
Björn Jacobson,
Takashi Masuyama and
Stefan Pahlefors to one. In 1974,
Sören Johansson became the
first Djurgården player to be selected in the NHL entry draft, in the 11th round by
Kansas City Scouts. At the
1976 Summer Olympics, Djurgården fencer quartet
Carl von Essen,
Göran Flodström,
Leif Högström, and
Hans Jacobson together with
LUGI fencer
Rolf Edling made the team that won a gold medal in the
men's team épée event. At the
1980 Winter Olympics, four Djurgården ice hockey players –
Bo Berglund,
Håkan Eriksson,
Thomas Eriksson, and
Mats Waltin – was part of
Sweden's bronze medal winning team in the
men's tournament. In 1983, the
men's ice hockey team won its eleventh
national title.
Jens Öhling,
Rolf Ridderwall,
Håkan Södergren,
Michael Thelvén, and
Mats Waltin Jens Öhling,
Centennial club and organisational changes (1989–1999) In 1989, the
men's ice hockey team moved to
Globen. In 1989, the
men's ice hockey team won the
national title by beating
Leksands IF with 3–1 in matches. It was their twelfth national title and was then repeated in 1990 and 1991. As a solution to the economic difficulties, a split of the departments into separate entities was proposed in 1990, with the football department taking 3 million SEK of the deficit and the ice hockey department taking 6 million SEK. In 1991, Djurgården was reorganised to an . The same year, Djurgården celebrated their 100 years of existence with a dinner at the
Stockholm City Hall. By the centennial jubilee,
Gösta Sandberg was chosen Djurgården person of the century by the club's members. In 1991–92 season, the men's floorball team began play in Division 5. In 1996, Djurgården became
Swedish champions in pétanque for the first time through a team of Charlotta Brohult, Bengt Håkansson] and Kenneth Öttenius who competed in the open event. In 1999, the
women's football team became Swedish champions in indoor five-a-side with a team consisting of Carolina Crevatin,
Elin Flyborg, Tina Karlsson,
Tina Kindvall, Aleksandra Maksimovic,
Salina Olsson, Karin Sandbrink, Kickan Sigridsson, Jacinta Sjöblom, Malin Söderlind,
Jessika Sundh, and
Sara Thunebro.
Into the new millennium (2000–2006) In 2000, the
men's ice hockey team won the
national title, its 15th. The title was secured in a 2–0 win against
IF Elfsborg with goals from
Johan Elmander and
Andreas Johansson. against
1. FFC Turbine Potsdam during the
2005 UEFA Women's Cup final in
Potsdam, Germany For the 2003 season, the
women's football club merged with
Älvsjö AIK to create
Djurgården/Älvsjö. The new team won
Damallsvenskan on its first try and repeated the achievement the following season. In 2005,
Djurgården/Älvsjö reached the
UEFA Women's Cup final which they lost to
1. FFC Turbine Potsdam with 1–5 in a two-legged final. In 2005, the
men's football team won its eleventh
national title by winning the
2005 Allsvenskan. In 2006, the
men's football club was corporised to
Djurgården Elitfotboll AB, and the
ice hockey club and its two junior teams followed in 2008, with shares sold to
Anschutz Entertainment Group. Starting in 2006,
Bashir Hassan won five consecutive national boxing titles in the men's featherweight. In April 2011, during the following season, the team won the Djurgårdens IF's first Swedish championship title in floorball. In March 2012, the
men's ice hockey team was relegated from the top-tier from their result in the
2012 Kvalserien. In 2013, the
men's handball first team withdrew. In late 2013, Djurgårdens IF men's and women's football clubs merged to one club. In March 2014, the men's floorball team joined forces with second-tier team
Capeirotäby FC for the coming 2014–15 season. In April 2014, it was reported the women's floorball team had financial difficulties and risked becoming bankrupt. In 2014, Djurgården took over
Segeltorps IF license in the women's ice hockey second tier, creating a
women's ice hockey team of Djurgården. For the 2014–15 season, the
men's bandy team merged with
Spånga/Bromstens BK. In 2016, the martial arts club won its first two Swedish championship titles –
Mehmet Kaya in men's
kickboxing and
Sandra Godvik in women's
Muay Thai. In March 2017, it was reported the men's floorball team was close to bankruptcy. In March 2017, the
women's ice hockey team won its first national title, beating
HV71 in the final.
2019–present players celebrating a goal by
Sebastian Strandberg against
Färjestad BK during the
2018–19 Swedish Hockey League season In 2019,the
men's football team won its twelfth national title by winning the
2019 Allsvenskan. In the
2019–20 Basketligan season, the
men's basketball team was participating for the first time in the series. In 2020, the
football club and the
ice hockey club engaged to cooperate with schools in the
Stockholm area to improve
physical activity. The 2020s saw the introduction
cricket in 2020, In 2022, the cricket club became Swedish champions in cricket for the first time, this time in the women's event. On 1 January 2023, the two football first teams became the same entity financially when the
women's team was moved to
Djurgårdens Elitfotboll AB. In 2023, the ice hockey club loaned 10 million SEK from the football club to cover deficits. In April 2025, the
men's ice hockey team returned to the top tier SHL by beating
AIK in the SHL qualifiers final, while the
men's football team had advanced to the semi-finals of the
2024–25 UEFA Conference League, which they lost to
Chelsea. ==Emblem and colours==