The 2003 World Cup final was only the second time Sweden ever reached the final of a FIFA World Cup after the
1958 FIFA Men's World Cup Final, and was the second most watched event in Sweden that year. The team was coached by
Thomas Dennerby from 2005 to 2012. After winning the two
qualifying matches against
Denmark for the
Beijing 2008 Olympics, the Swedish Olympic Committee approved of record increases in investments for the women's team. The new budget granted over a million
SEK (about US$150,000) for the team and 150,000 SEK (about US$25,000) per player for developing physical fitness. The new grants are almost a 100% increase of the 2005 and 2006 season funds. The team was coached by
Pia Sundhage from 2012 to 2017. The developments and conditions of the Sweden women's national football team from its beginnings until 2013 can be seen in the 2013 three-part
Sveriges Television documentary television series
The Other Sport.
Lotta Schelin surpassed
Hanna Ljungberg's 72-goal record against
Germany on 29 October 2014. In November 2016,
Peter Gerhardsson was announced as the new manager, and replaced Pia Sundhage after the
UEFA Women's Euro 2017. At the
2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, the Sweden national team won all of their three group stage games against South Africa, Italy, and Argentina. The round of 16 knockout game against the United States finished 0–0 after extra time, with the Swedish team winning 5–4 in the penalty shootout. Sweden then won the quarter-final against Japan with two goals against one. In the semi-final, the eventual world champions Spain became too difficult to overcome and Spain scored the game-winning goal in the 89th minute. Sweden went on to win the bronze medal for the fourth time, beating co-hosts Australia 2–0 in the third-place match. Central defender
Amanda Ilestedt was named the third-best player of the tournament and received the Bronze Ball. She was also the highest scorer for Sweden with four tournament goals. == Team image ==