Ove Kindvall
Full nameBengt Ove Kindvall
Birth date16 May 1943
Birth placeNorrköping, Sweden
Death date5 August 2025 (aged 82)
Height1.74 m
PositionStriker
Youthclubs 1IFK Norrköping
Years 11962–1966
Clubs 1IFK Norrköping
Caps 184
Goals 170
Years 21966–1971
Clubs 2Feyenoord
Caps 2144
Goals 2129
Years 31971–1975
Clubs 3IFK Norrköping
Caps 394
Goals 330
Years 41975–1977
Clubs 4IFK Göteborg
Caps 458
Goals 430
Totalcaps344
Totalgoals259
Nationalyears 11961
Nationalteam 1Sweden U19
Nationalcaps 13
Nationalgoals 10
Nationalyears 21964
Nationalteam 2Sweden U21
Nationalcaps 22
Nationalgoals 20
Nationalyears 31963–1964
Nationalteam 3Sweden B
Nationalcaps 32
Nationalgoals 34
Nationalyears 41965–1974
Nationalteam 4Sweden
Nationalcaps 443
Nationalgoals 416
Manageryears 11979–1980
Managerclubs 1IFK Göteborg (chairman)

Bengt Ove Kindvall ('beŋkt 'uːve 'tɕindvɑːl, 16 May 1943 – 5 August 2025) was a Swedish professional footballer who played as a striker. He started his career at IFK Norrköping, where he played until he joined Feyenoord in 1966 and became professional. The same year, he won the Guldbollen, as the best Swedish footballer of the year. He is regarded as one of Sweden's greatest ever players.[1] A full international between 1965 and 1974, he won 43 caps and scored 16 goals for the Sweden national team. He represented his country at the 1970 and 1974 FIFA World Cups.

Club career

With Feyenoord he won two national championships as well as the 1970 European Cup. In the final against Celtic he scored the winning goal in extra time. In his five seasons with the club, Kindvall scored 129 league goals in 144 games. He returned to Sweden and Norrköping 1971, where he played for three years, until ending his career in IFK Göteborg.

He was the first non-Dutchman to be named Eredivisie top scorer, doing so in 1968, 1969 and 1971. No other foreigner achieved this until Romário in 1989.

Kindvall earned the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal in 1969. In that year, he was named as the fourth best player in Europe.[2]

International career

Kindvall played 43 games with the national team and scored 16 goals.[3] He participated in the 1970 and 1974 FIFA World Cup, playing a major role in the team's qualification for the former.[3]

Personal life and death

He was the father of former footballers Niclas Kindvall and Tina Kindvall, and brother of Kaj Kindvall, a radio host.[4]

Kindvall died on 5 August 2025, at the age of 82.[5][6][7]

Career statistics

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year[3]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Sweden196531
196664
196700
196833
196934
197030
197141
197250
1973103
197460
Total4316
Scores and results list Sweden's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kindvall goal.
List of international goals scored by Ove Kindvall[8]
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetitionRef.
17 November 1965Dr. Fazil Kucuk Stadium, Famagusta, CyprusCyprus3–05–01966 FIFA World Cup qualifier[9]
227 April 1966Zentralstadion, Leipzig, East GermanyDDR1–31–4Friendly[10]
330 June 1966Ullevi, Gothenburg, SwedenBrazil1–12–3Friendly[11]
42–3
55 October 1966Råsunda, Solna, SwedenAustria2–04–1Friendly[12]
69 October 1968Råsunda, Solna, SwedenNorway1–05–01970 FIFA World Cup qualifier[13]
73–0
84–0
91 May 1969Malmö Stadium, Malmö, SwedenMexico1–01–0Friendly[14]
1019 June 1969Ullevaal Stadium, Oslo, NorwayNorway3–05–21970 FIFA World Cup qualifier[15]
1115 October 1969Råsunda, Solna, SwedenFrance1–02–01970 FIFA World Cup qualifier[16]
122–0
1327 June 1971Ullevi, Gothenburg, SwedenWest Germany1–01–0Friendly[17]
1426 April 1973Parken, Copenhagen, DenmarkDenmark2–12–1Friendly[18]
1513 June 1973Nepstadion, Budapest, HungaryHungary1–13–31974 FIFA World Cup qualifier[19]
1611 November 1973Gżira Stadium, Gżira, MaltaMalta1–12–11974 FIFA World Cup qualifier[20]

Honours

IFK Norrköping

Feyenoord

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Greatest players". gopeking.net (unofficial IFK Norrköping fansite). Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  2. ^ "European Footballer of the Year ("Ballon d'Or") 1969". RSSSF. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  3. ^ "Ove Kindvall - Spelarstatistik - Svensk fotboll" (in Swedish). www.svenskfotboll.se.. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  4. ^ ""Sluta jämför med pappa"". 23 October 1997.
  5. ^ Ove Kindvall är död vid 82 års ålder (in Swedish)
  6. ^ ""Feyenoord-icoon Ove Kindvall (82) overleden"". 5 August 2025.
  7. ^ "Ove Kindvall är död vid 82 års ålder"
  8. ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Kim Källström". National Football Teams
  9. ^ "Cypern - Sverige - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll" (in Swedish). www.svenskfotboll.se. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  10. ^ "Östtyskland - Sverige - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll" (in Swedish). www.svenskfotboll.se. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  11. ^ "Sverige - Brasilien - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll" (in Swedish). www.svenskfotboll.se. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  12. ^ "Sverige - Österrike - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll" (in Swedish). www.svenskfotboll.se. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  13. ^ "Sverige - Norge - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll" (in Swedish). www.svenskfotboll.se. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  14. ^ "Sverige - Mexiko - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll" (in Swedish). www.svenskfotboll.se. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  15. ^ "Norge - Sverige - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll" (in Swedish). www.svenskfotboll.se. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  16. ^ "Sverige - Frankrike - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll" (in Swedish). www.svenskfotboll.se. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  17. ^ "Sverige - Västtyskland - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll" (in Swedish). www.svenskfotboll.se. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  18. ^ "Danmark - Sverige - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll" (in Swedish). www.svenskfotboll.se. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  19. ^ "Ungern - Sverige - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll" (in Swedish). www.svenskfotboll.se. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  20. ^ "Malta - Sverige - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll" (in Swedish). www.svenskfotboll.se. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  21. ^ "FUWO 1970". FCC-Wiki. Retrieved 23 April 2024.

Sources