# Tomas Brolin
**Tomas Brolin** (born 1969 in Hudiksvall, Sweden) is a Swedish former footballer, a forward and attacking midfielder who starred for Parma in the early 1990s and helped Sweden finish third at the 1994 [FIFA World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-world-cup) in the United States.[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/tomas-brolin_%28Enciclopedia-dello-Sport%29/) • [2](https://www.parmacalcio1913.com/en/parma-legends/tomas-brolin/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1969, Hudiksvall, Sweden[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/tomas-brolin_%28Enciclopedia-dello-Sport%29/) |
| Position | Center forward and winger (centravanti-ala)[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/tomas-brolin_%28Enciclopedia-dello-Sport%29/) |
| Serie A debut | 9 September 1990, Parma-Juventus 1-2[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/tomas-brolin_%28Enciclopedia-dello-Sport%29/) |
| Parma record | 190 appearances, 31 goals across five seasons[2](https://www.parmacalcio1913.com/en/parma-legends/tomas-brolin/) |
| Trophies with Parma | Coppa Italia 1991-92, Cup Winners' Cup 1992-93, European Supercup 1993, UEFA Cup 1994-95[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/tomas-brolin_%28Enciclopedia-dello-Sport%29/) |
| Sweden | 47 caps, 26 goals, debut 1990; bronze at the 1994 World Cup, semifinal at Euro 1992[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/tomas-brolin_%28Enciclopedia-dello-Sport%29/) • [3](https://www.ne.se/uppslagsverk/encyklopedi/l%C3%A5ng/tomas-brolin) |
| Individual honors | Guldbollen (Sweden's player of the year) 1990 and 1994; tied fourth in the 1994 Ballon d'Or[4](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/76PqGo/las-intervjun-med-vinnaren-tomas-brolin-av-guldbollen-fran-1990-och-1994) • [5](https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/europa-poy94.html) |
| Retirement | Summer 1998, at age 28, after muscle and ankle injuries[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/tomas-brolin_%28Enciclopedia-dello-Sport%29/) • [4](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/76PqGo/las-intervjun-med-vinnaren-tomas-brolin-av-guldbollen-fran-1990-och-1994) |
## Early career in Sweden
Brolin came through in his home region and made his professional debut in Sweden with GIF Sundsvall, where he played from 1987 to 1989, before a breakthrough season at [IFK Norrköping](https://www.edgepedia.org/ifk-norrkoping) in 1990.[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/tomas-brolin_%28Enciclopedia-dello-Sport%29/) • [2](https://www.parmacalcio1913.com/en/parma-legends/tomas-brolin/) A goal in Sweden's World Cup debut against Brazil in 1990 announced him internationally, and Parma, newly promoted to [Serie A](https://www.edgepedia.org/serie-a), signed him ahead of the 1990/91 season.[4](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/76PqGo/las-intervjun-med-vinnaren-tomas-brolin-av-guldbollen-fran-1990-och-1994) • [2](https://www.parmacalcio1913.com/en/parma-legends/tomas-brolin/)
## Parma, 1990 to 1995
Parma used Brolin as one of its three designated foreign players, alongside the Brazilian goalkeeper Taffarel and the Belgian Grün, in a squad that rose quickly through Italian and European football.[2](https://www.parmacalcio1913.com/en/parma-legends/tomas-brolin/) Described by the club as technically gifted and brilliant in the air, he made 190 appearances and scored 31 goals in five seasons.[2](https://www.parmacalcio1913.com/en/parma-legends/tomas-brolin/) In the 1991/92 Serie A season he played all 34 league matches and scored 4 goals as Parma finished seventh.[6](https://www.snedtanktpedia.se/personer/tomas-brolin/info)
The trophies arrived steadily: the [Coppa Italia](https://www.edgepedia.org/coppa-italia) in 1991-92, the Cup Winners' Cup in 1992-93, the European Supercup in 1993, and the UEFA Cup in 1994-95.[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/tomas-brolin_%28Enciclopedia-dello-Sport%29/) The Treccani sport encyclopedia notes that his willingness to help out in midfield made him a trusted player of the Parma coach Nevio Scala.[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/tomas-brolin_%28Enciclopedia-dello-Sport%29/)
## Sweden national team
Brolin was capped 47 times by Sweden between 1990 and 1995, scoring 26 goals.[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/tomas-brolin_%28Enciclopedia-dello-Sport%29/) He was a key figure in the sides that reached the Euro 1992 semifinal and won bronze at the 1994 World Cup.[3](https://www.ne.se/uppslagsverk/encyklopedi/l%C3%A5ng/tomas-brolin) At the 1994 tournament, played from the right of midfield with a free role, he was described by the Guardian's football editor Marcus Christenson as Sweden's standout performer, with Martin Dahlin and Kennet Andersson scoring the goals around him.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jul/05/sweden-england-tomas-brolin-world-cup) He scored twice in the third-place match, which Sweden won 4-0.[8](https://digital.la84.org/digital/api/collection/p17103coll31/id/11123/download) After the bronze, he was the only Swede named in the world team of 1994.[4](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/76PqGo/las-intervjun-med-vinnaren-tomas-brolin-av-guldbollen-fran-1990-och-1994)
His individual recognition peaked in the same period. He won Aftonbladet's Guldbollen as Sweden's best player in 1990 and again in 1994, joining a group of nine players who have won the award twice.[4](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/76PqGo/las-intervjun-med-vinnaren-tomas-brolin-av-guldbollen-fran-1990-och-1994) In the 1994 [Ballon d'Or](https://www.edgepedia.org/ballon-dor) voting, published in France Football, he finished tied fourth with [Gheorghe Hagi](https://www.edgepedia.org/gheorghe-hagi) on 27 points, behind [Hristo Stoichkov](https://www.edgepedia.org/hristo-stoichkov), Roberto Baggio, and Paolo Maldini.[5](https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/europa-poy94.html)
## Injury and decline in England
In a Euro 1996 qualifier against Hungary in November 1994, Brolin broke his left foot while setting up Martin Dahlin's goal for 2-0.[4](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/76PqGo/las-intervjun-med-vinnaren-tomas-brolin-av-guldbollen-fran-1990-och-1994) After a long rehabilitation he joined Leeds United in the autumn of 1995, for a reported fee of £4.5 million ($7 million), but never returned to his previous level.[4](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/76PqGo/las-intervjun-med-vinnaren-tomas-brolin-av-guldbollen-fran-1990-och-1994) • [9](https://digital.la84.org/digital/api/collection/p17103coll31/id/13628/download) Brolin later told FourFourTwo that at Leeds he never got to play the creative midfield role he had been promised when he signed.[10](https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/brolin-leeds-never-got-play-092813841.html)
His clubs after Parma were Leeds United from November 1995 to 1996, Zürich in 1996-97, a short return to Parma from January to June 1997, and Crystal Palace in 1997-98.[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/tomas-brolin_%28Enciclopedia-dello-Sport%29/) Treccani attributes the end of his career to repeated muscle injuries, and he retired in the summer of 1998 at 28.[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/tomas-brolin_%28Enciclopedia-dello-Sport%29/) • [4](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/76PqGo/las-intervjun-med-vinnaren-tomas-brolin-av-guldbollen-fran-1990-och-1994) Brolin himself has said the old foot injury was not what kept him from coming back, and that he had grown tired of the football establishment in England.[4](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/76PqGo/las-intervjun-med-vinnaren-tomas-brolin-av-guldbollen-fran-1990-och-1994)
## Life after football
Brolin left professional football entirely and did not pursue a coaching career, saying he was not suited to managing 25 people and preferred to look after himself.[11](https://www.aftonbladet.se/a/al5JgL) According to Gazzetta dello Sport, cited by Aftonbladet, his post-playing ventures have included work as a shoe entrepreneur, music producer, restaurateur, property developer, professional poker player, and seller of vacuum cleaners, the last arising from an inventor who approached him with a new vacuum design.[11](https://www.aftonbladet.se/a/al5JgL) In a 2025 interview with Gazzetta dello Sport he explained the early retirement by saying he was tired of daily training and curious about other projects.[12](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/quede-cuarto-en-el-balon-de-oro-y-me-retire-para-ir-a-vender-aspiradoras-n/) He lives in Sigtuna, Sweden, with his wife Marielle.[11](https://www.aftonbladet.se/a/al5JgL)
## References
1. [BROLIN, Tomas, Enciclopedia dello Sport, Treccani](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/tomas-brolin_%28Enciclopedia-dello-Sport%29/)
2. [Tomas Brolin, Parma Legends, Parma Calcio 1913](https://www.parmacalcio1913.com/en/parma-legends/tomas-brolin/)
3. [Tomas Brolin, Nationalencyklopedin](https://www.ne.se/uppslagsverk/encyklopedi/l%C3%A5ng/tomas-brolin)
4. [Läs intervjun med vinnaren Tomas Brolin av Guldbollen från 1990 och 1994, Aftonbladet](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/76PqGo/las-intervjun-med-vinnaren-tomas-brolin-av-guldbollen-fran-1990-och-1994)
5. [European Footballer of the Year ("Ballon d'Or") 1994, RSSSF](https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/europa-poy94.html)
6. [Tomas Brolin, Info, Snedtanktpedia](https://www.snedtanktpedia.se/personer/tomas-brolin/info)
7. [Sweden v England and the loneliness that comes with loving Tomas Brolin, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jul/05/sweden-england-tomas-brolin-world-cup)
8. [Third Place, Soccer America (LA84 digital archive)](https://digital.la84.org/digital/api/collection/p17103coll31/id/11123/download)
9. [the World Cup, Soccer America (LA84 digital archive)](https://digital.la84.org/digital/api/collection/p17103coll31/id/13628/download)
10. [Brolin: At Leeds, I never got to play in the role I'd been promised, Yahoo Sports / FourFourTwo](https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/brolin-leeds-never-got-play-092813841.html)
11. [Brolin: "Kämpar för att ta hand om mig själv", Aftonbladet](https://www.aftonbladet.se/a/al5JgL)
12. ["Quedé cuarto en el Balón de Oro y me retiré para ir a vender aspiradoras", AS](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/quede-cuarto-en-el-balon-de-oro-y-me-retire-para-ir-a-vender-aspiradoras-n/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of continental Europe › Nordic footballers › Swedish footballers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license