Swedish youth football champions (Swedish: Svenska ungdomsmästare i fotboll) is a collection of several different titles in Swedish football that have been awarded to the winners of youth tournaments. For club teams, Swedish junior championships have been organised for boys since 1982 and for girls since 2018. Swedish boys championships have been organised since 1988, while Swedish girls championships have been organised between 1994 and 1997, and since 2009. A Swedish under-16 championship for boys has been organised since 2019. For teams of the district football associations of the Swedish Football Association, a district junior championship for boys was played between 1962 and 1994. District boys championships have been organised since 1975, while district girls championships have been organised since 1982.
The junior championships for club teams (juniormästerskap för klubblag, also junior-SM or JSM) for boys have been played since 1982, but the competition had several unofficial precursors.[1][2] A cup tournament, Allsvenska ungdomscupen, was played from 1945 to 1976, and was open to member clubs of the Swedish Professional Football Leagues.[1] The title unofficial junior champions was awarded to the winners of the tournament, which was discontinued when the newspaper Expressen withdrew their sponsorship.[2] For the years between 1949 and 1958, the winner of this cup also played a national final (Riksfinal) against the winners of the Norrland junior championships (Norrländska juniormästerskapen).[1]
The Swedish Professional Football Leagues also arranged a league starting in 1971, Allsvenska ungdomsserien, only open to youth teams of Allsvenskan clubs. A champion was decided through a final match between group winners, and was open to all Swedish Professional Football Leagues members from 1977.[1] This league was sometimes also called Allsvenska utvecklingsserien,[1] and saw continued play in parallel to the in 1982 introduced official junior championships, initially played in a strict cup format.[3]
In 1990, the youth league was rebranded as Juniorallsvenskan,[4] and the play-off following the league replaced the separate cup tournament as the competition to decide the official junior champions.[5]As of 2021[update], the championship is played in league format, currently named P19 Allsvenskan, consisting of two regional groups of 15 teams, followed by a final between the two winning teams to determine the junior champions.[6] From 2022, the league format will be changed to consist of a single group of 14 teams.[6]
From 1982 until 2008, the championships were played with an age limit of 18, but from 2009 on the age limit has been 19.[7]
The junior championships for club teams (juniormästerskap för klubblag, also junior-SM or JSM) for girls have been played since 2018 and have always been played with an age limit of 19.[7]
The boys championships for club teams (pojkmästerskap för klubblag, also pojk-SM or PSM) have been played since 1988. The championships were played with an age limit of 16 until 2009, but from 2010 on the age limit has been 17.[7]
The girls championships for club teams (flickmästerskap för klubblag, also flick-SM or FSM) have been played between 1994 and 1997, and since 2009. The championships were played with an age limit of 16 from 2009 until 2018, but between 1994 and 1997 and from 2019 on the age limit has been 17.[7]
