Leopold Wahlstedt
Birth date4 July 1999 (age 27)
Birth placeStockholm, Sweden[1]
Height1.90 m[2]
PositionGoalkeeper
CurrentclubRosenborg
Clubnumber1
Youthclubs 1AIK
Youthclubs 2Norrtulls SK
Youthclubs 3AIK
Youthyears 42015–2017
Youthclubs 4FC Djursholm
Years 12018
Clubs 1Dalkurd FF
Caps 10
Goals 10
Years 22019–2020
Clubs 2Arendal
Caps 241
Goals 20
Years 32021
Clubs 3Odd 2
Caps 314
Goals 30
Years 42021–2023
Clubs 4Odd
Caps 460
Goals 40
Years 52023–2024
Clubs 5Blackburn Rovers
Caps 521
Goals 50
Years 62024–2026
Clubs 6AGF
Caps 65
Goals 60
Years 72026–
Clubs 7Rosenborg
Caps 711
Goals 70
Nationalyears 12017
Nationalteam 1Sweden U19
Nationalcaps 11
Nationalgoals 10
Nationalyears 22023
Nationalteam 2Sweden
Nationalcaps 21
Nationalgoals 20
Club-update30 May 2026

Leopold Wahlstedt (born 4 July 1999) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Eliteserien club Rosenborg.

Club career

Early years

Born in Stockholm, Wahlstedt played youth football for AIK and Norrtulls SK, before moving to FC Djursholm.[3][4] In April 2018, he signed with recently promoted Allsvenskan club Dalkurd FF.[5] He made his professional debut for the club on 21 August 2018, starting in a 2–1 Svenska Cupen win against Karlbergs BK.[6] During his sole season at the club, he failed to make a single league appearance, only playing the one match in Svenska Cupen.[2]

Arendal

In January 2019, Wahlstedt moved to Norwegian third tier club Arendal.[7] Through the first three games of the season, Wahlstedt was a backup, but he soon earned the starting job after making his debut on 1 May 2019 in the Norwegian Football Cup match against Vindbjart, which his team won 3–0.[8][2] His league debut followed three days later in a 5–3 loss to Fredrikstad.[9]

Odd

Wahlstedt joined the Eliteserien side Odd from Arendal ahead of the 2021 season as a backup for Sondre Rossbach. On 12 September 2021, he made his Eliteserien debut for the club in a 1–1 draw against Bodø/Glimt.[10] From that date, he made the place his own. In the following two seasons, he was considered the best and most potential goalkeeper in Eliteserien, with many rumors of moving to bigger clubs. Representatives from clubs such as Liverpool, Villarreal and FC Schalke 04 were present during the games at Skagerak Arena.

Blackburn Rovers

On 8 August 2023, Wahlstedt joined Championship club Blackburn Rovers on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.[11] He made his debut for Blackburn on 1 October 2023, coming on as a substitute for the injured Aynsley Pears during a 4–1 defeat to Leicester City.[12] Throughout the 2023–24 season, Wahlstedt made 21 Championship appearances, starting in 20 matches.[1] His debut season in English football included periods of scrutiny, particularly in December 2023, when he was criticised for a series of errors on aerial balls that led to goals against Southampton, Watford, Rotherham United, and Huddersfield Town. Blackburn manager Jon Dahl Tomasson addressed the situation publicly, attributing the mistakes to Wahlstedt’s inexperience and highlighting the learning curve associated with playing regularly in the Championship.[13]

AGF

On 3 July 2024, Wahlstedt joined Danish Superliga club AGF for an undisclosed fee.[14] He made his competitive debut on 25 September in a third-round Danish Cup match against VSK Aarhus, but was substituted after 15 minutes following an ankle injury.[15] Initial examinations revealed a broken bone, sidelining him for an extended period.[16] He resumed training in January 2025 during AGF's winter camp in Estepona, Spain.[17]

Initially serving as backup to veteran Jesper Hansen, Wahlstedt was named starting goalkeeper by head coach Uwe Rösler on 24 April 2025. The change followed a poor run of form, with the club winless in its previous four matches.[18]

Following the conclusion of the 2024–25 season, AGF appointed Jakob Poulsen as head coach, succeeding Rösler. Under Poulsen, the goalkeeping position continued to rotate between Wahlstedt and Hansen. Wahlstedt started Poulsen's first league match in charge, but after an error in the opening fixture of the 2025–26 season, Hansen was restored as first-choice goalkeeper from the second match onwards.[19][20][21] Poulsen stated that the decision was based on an overall assessment of the team's needs and the desire for stability in goal. Wahlstedt subsequently did not feature in competitive matches during the early part of the season, including AGF's cup fixtures, with Hansen remaining the preferred option.[22] Despite the lack of playing time, Poulsen indicated that Wahlstedt continued to perform well in training and remained part of the club's goalkeeping rotation.[22]

Rosenborg

On 25 January 2026, Wahlstedt returned to Norway, signing a four-year contract with Eliteserien club Rosenborg.[23]

International career

In September 2022, Wahlstedt received his first call-up to the Sweden national team after a convincing season in Eliteserien.[4] He made his full international for debut Sweden on 9 January 2023, playing for 90 minutes in a friendly 2–0 win against Finland.[24]

Personal life

Wahlstedt's paternal grandfather is from Sicily, Italy.[3]

Career statistics

Club

[1]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cup[a]League cup[b]OtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Dalkurd FF2018Allsvenskan0010——10
Arendal20192. divisjon22000——220
20202. divisjon19000——190
Total41000——410
Odd 220212. divisjon140———140
Odd2021Eliteserien13020——150
2022Eliteserien30010——310
2023Eliteserien17010——180
Total60040——640
Blackburn Rovers2023–24Championship2100030—240
AGF2024–25Danish Superliga4010——50
2025–26Danish Superliga1000——10
Total5010——60
Rosenborg2026Eliteserien11010——120
Career total15207030001620
  1. ^ Includes Svenska Cupen, Norwegian Cup, Danish Cup
  2. ^ Includes EFL Cup

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year[25]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Sweden202310
Total10

References

  1. ^
  2. ^
  3. ^ Petersson, Martin (28 January 2023). "Gallrades bort av AIK och övervägde att sluta – sen tog Wahlstedt "bakvägen" till Blågult" (in Swedish). fotbollskanalen. Archived 23 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  4. ^ Wagner, Michael (19 September 2022). "Leopold... vem? Blågults nye målvakt en superdoldis för landslaggspelarna" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Archived 30 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  5. ^ Tuhcic, Damir (3 April 2018). "Officiellt: Dalkurd FF värvar Leopold Wahlstedt" (in Swedish). fotbolltransfers. Archived 18 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  6. ^ "Karlbergs BK – Dalkurd FF 1:2 (Svenska Cupen 2018/2019, 2. Round)". WorldFootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Lokal spiss og svensk keeper på plass" (in nb-no). Arendal Fotball. 15 January 2019. Archived 7 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Vindbjart – Arendal – 01.05.2019 18.00" (in Norwegian). Norges Fotballforbund. Archived 3 August 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Fredrikstad – Arendal – 04.05.2019 18.00" (in Norwegian). Norges Fotballforbund. Archived 3 August 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  10. ^
  11. ^ "Swedish stopper signs!". www.rovers.co.uk. 8 August 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  12. ^ "Blackburn Rovers 1-4 Leicester City: Jamie Vardy on target as Foxes win at Ewood Park". BBC Sport. 1 October 2023. Archived 6 October 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
  13. ^ Jackson, Elliott (2 January 2024). "Tomasson addresses Leopold Wahlstedt's Blackburn Rovers form". Lancashire Telegraph. Archived 17 January 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
  14. ^ "Leo Wahlstedt: Goalkeeper departs Blackburn Rovers for Danish side AGF". BBC Sport. 3 July 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  15. ^ Bak, Daniel (25 September 2024). "Uheldig debut: Wahlstedt kørt væk efter sammenstød" (in Danish). bold.dk. Archived 2 October 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  16. ^ Porse, Kristian (26 September 2024). "Trist nyt i AGF: Wahlstedt har brækket knogle i anklen" (in Danish). bold.dk. Archived 2 October 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  17. ^ Roulund, Jonas (20 January 2025). "Wahlstedt er tilbage: - Det føles godt" (in da-DK). KSDH. Archived 9 February 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
  18. ^ Hvid, Allan (24 April 2025). "AGF skifter målmand" (in da-DK). TV 2 Sport. Archived 24 April 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
  19. ^ "Dyr brøler gør ondt på AGF-keeper: Jeg tager ansvaret" [Costly blunder hurts AGF goalkeeper: I take responsibility] (in da-DK). Berlingske. 20 July 2025. Archived 25 January 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  20. ^ Lage, Jacob Nordestgaard (20 July 2025). "Jakob Poulsen forsvarer keeper" [Jakob Poulsen defends goalkeeper] (in da-DK). TV 2 Sport. Archived 25 January 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  21. ^ Runge, Kristian Stabell (25 July 2025). "AGF skiftede keeper igen: Det tærer på Wahlstedts selvtillid" [AGF change goalkeeper again: It takes a toll on Wahlstedt's confidence] (in Danish). Bold. Archived 12 January 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  22. ^ Ahlquist, Valdemar & Runge, Kristian Stabell (30 October 2025). "Wahlstedt fik ikke chancen: Hansen er førstevalget" [Wahlstedt was not given the chance: Hansen is the first choice] (in Danish). Bold. Archived 22 November 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  23. ^ "Wahlstedt er Rosenborgs nye keeper" [Wahlstedt is Rosenborg’s new goalkeeper] (in nb-no). Rosenborg BK. 25 January 2026. Archived 25 January 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  24. ^ "Sverige – Finland – Matchfakta – Svensk fotboll" (in Swedish). www.svenskfotboll.se. Archived from the original on 9 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  25. ^