Ulrica Lindelöf welcomed her son, Victor, on July 17, 1994, the same day the FIFA World Cup came to a close in the United States. Little did she know that the next World Cup in France in 1998 would ignite Victor’s passion for football. Born as the second eldest of four boys, Victor grew up in a household where his mother took on the primary caregiving role, while his father provided support from afar. Victor later reflected, “My father would be around too, but the one who really raised us was my mother.”
At just five years old, Victor’s imagination for football was nurtured by his mother, who encouraged his budding interest with thoughtful gifts. One memorable present was a goalkeeper kit inspired by Fabien Barthez, the French goalkeeper who captured hearts during the 1998 World Cup.
Born on Championship Day: The Inspiring Journey of Victor Lindelof
This article will explore the lesser-known aspects of Victor Lindelöf’s life and career, delving into the experiences that shaped him into the footballer he is today. Without further ado, let’s dive into the heart of his story.
Victor Lindelof Childhood Story – The Events Before His Birth:
For Biography starters, the date of his birth had a positive sense of timing. It was the day his parents knew he was going to become a footballer.
On that day, 17th of July 1994, Victor Lindelof’s mum, Ulrica, was in a hospital with her husband, who was acting kind of strange as he looked distracted, which is weird, right?
Yes, we mean, his son is about to be born.
There aren’t many bigger things in life than that, right??
Of course, when Victor Lindelof came into this world, his father was overwhelmed with joy. Shockingly, after his son’s birth, he bizarrely said;
O.K., Please can I find a TV now?.
Victor’s mum just rolled her eyes in amusement because she knew what he meant by that humble question. She was like,
“Really? Really?”
And Victor’s father replied;
“I know, I know…it a wrong timing, but they’re about to start taking the penalties.”
Now, let’s unlock the mystery of that day
It was the 17th of July 1994, the day of the 1994 World Cup Final between Brazil and Italy, in Pasadena, California, USA.
Victor Lindelöf saw his first breath moments before the penalty final between Brazil and Italy.
It was the worst day of Roberto Baggio’s life. The day he missed the penalty that made Italy lose the World Cup. Watch Below;
Early Life:
Victor Lindelof was born on the 17th of July 1994 to his mother, Ulrica Lindelöf, and a relatively unknown father in Västerås, Sweden. He grew up in his parent’s apartment block in Vasteras, which is Sweden’s fifth biggest city. He was the second eldest of four boys born by his parents.
From a Broken Home:
Victor’s childhood was disrupted when his mother, Ulrica and father, Jorgen, broke up while he was still very young.
His mum took over the responsibility of caring for her children, while his dad only showed care from a distance.
Victor himself was made stronger, as he also felt the responsibility of looking after his brothers when his dad left their family home, especially the two younger ones. According to reports,
“It made him grow up and most probably why we see this mature part of him today.”
Growing up, all boys learned how to play football together. As Victor puts it;
My father would be around too, but the one who really raised us was my mother.
Now, I don’t wanna sound like a mommy’s boy here, but I’m telling you, without her, I wouldn’t have become a footballer. No chance!
When Victor was five years old, his mum fed his imagination with football, starting with gifts.
She once bought him this goalkeeper kit of Fabien Barthez, France’s goalkeeper who became very popular after the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
At age five, Victor’s football dreams were ignited by his mother’s gift: a Fabien Barthez goalkeeper kit, echoing France’s 1998 World Cup glory.
Suddenly, Victor wanted to become a Barthez as he started enjoying his kit. He’d be out in the yard throwing himself into the mud while trying to imitate the heroic stops of the legendary French goalkeeper.
Victor Lindelof Biography – Career Buildup:
As he was enjoying his goalkeeping kit, Victor’s mum took a twist on his son’s choice of career direction. She decided to buy her son a Zinedine Zidane kit just like Eden Hazard‘s parents did. Immediately again, Victor wanted to be Zizou.
He began going to play football at his city’s local pitch, where he started learning how to make amazing passes. Soon, his imagination had turned into a dream.
When people ask him what he wanted to be when he grew up, Victor would immediately say;
“I want to be a footballer.”
At that time, Nobody really took him seriously. In response, people who asked him would say,
“Aw, that’s sweet, but footballing isn’t really a job, is it?
The Winning Mentality:
Victor’s footballing journey started at age five at IK Franke, a tiny club in a deprived suburb of the city. His mum was the one who took him to train while his dad was away. As a kid, he was seen by his youth coach as “something special” because of his “work ethic to improve” and “hatred of losing”.
Reacting in Losing Situations:
When he was eight or nine, Victor once took the last penalty in a semi-final shootout and hit the ball five meters over the bar. He was so upset that he immediately ran off into a nearby forest.
His coach found him later sitting on a tree, where he cried and cried. As his coach puts it;
“He felt he had let everyone down and I had to calm Victor by saying none of them was angry with him. But he wanted to win all the time.”
Victor had to just believe it was possible to win trophies just as his mum made him believe. This finally came to pass.
The Later Years:
Lindelof left the club, IK Franke, aged 13, for local rivals Vasteras IK before being spotted by his city’s main team, which is Vasteras SK. Soon, he started playing with the senior team as a central midfielder in the lower divisions, where he developed more quickly.
Victor’s plan was to go to a bigger club in Sweden later on. However, it was his agent who pressed on as regards him leaving for another bigger league.
Victor’s agent finally agent got a call from Benfica. Benfica’s interest came as a shock to Lindelof, who was only 17 at that time and was still going to school. In his words,
I was living at home and going to school, unsure if I should accept the offer from Benfica. So, I sat down with my mother and older brother to discuss the pros and cons.
During my call with Benfica, I weighed the following points:
Pros: Benfica is the biggest club in Portugal. I would have the opportunity to play alongside better players and work with more experienced coaches. I might even get a chance to make it to the first team.
Cons: I’d have to move to Lisbon, alone. I wouldn’t know anyone there, and I wouldn’t even speak the language. I could end up like some of my friends who moved abroad at my age and faced a lot of difficulties. Was I really willing to take that risk?”
As he wasn’t too sure about it, Victor’s mum walked up to him and said;
“Son, Will you regret it if you don’t say yes?”
Suddenly, Victor realized that he would accept their contract. One hour later, he called his agent to get ready for the journey. About two weeks later, Victor was on his way to Lisbon with his mum coming along.
The U-Turn:
According to Victor,
“I believed my mom was feeling pretty confident about everything, but the next morning, she started to cry. She was proud of me, but it was hard for her to let me go.”
However, it wasn’t too late for Victor as Benfica gave him a loan option back to his country.
Going Back: Victor went back to play as a defender for Västerås, his former club, for the first six months of his senior career.
He helped his club win promotion to Sweden’s second tier. Having attained maturity in the summer of 2012, He finally took the plane back to Lisbon all by himself. This time, there was no return ticket.
Going Getting Tough:
After moving to Lisbon to join Benfica, Victor faced a challenging adjustment period. Being so far from home and unable to communicate in the local language left him feeling isolated. He recalls, “Even today, I can picture that room as if I were still living there.
I remember the small flat-screen TV, the beige desk, the red curtains, and the concrete balcony where I could see the training pitches. The bed had red sheets, and the mattress was so hard that it felt like sleeping on the floor.”
During those lonely days, Victor would often video call his parents on Skype and binge-watch Entourage, the American comedy-drama series.
Fortunately, he eventually found a girlfriend, who we will introduce later.
The Zlatan Help:
Zlatan Ibrahimovic once asked a favour for his fellow countryman. He spoke to his then-manager Jose Mourinho about the idea of signing Victor, having briefly worked with him on the international scene.
Ideally, their Swedish careers may only have overlapped, with Zlatan retiring after Euro 2016. Victor Lindelof impressed Zlatan enough, who helped him get to United.
In the words of Zlatan;
“Victor is more than capable of playing for United. It’s up to him to decide what he wants and how he sees the situation. No matter what he chooses, it will be the right decision for him.”
United boss Jose Mourinho, despite getting the Zlatan recommendation, had to do his own research to know Victor Lindelof’s family background, bio, personality, and career path.
In the end, the Swedish finally came to the United. The rest, as they say, including their possible second reunion, is now history.
Love Life with Maja:
For Victor, the distance between Sweden to Portugal finally meant nothing since the moment he found someone who meant everything to him. As at the time of writing, an intimate relationship on a solid footing exists between Victor and Maja, who is pictured below.
The best feeling in their world is actually knowing they mean something to each other.
A bit about Maja Nilsson:
Maja (not related to Josh Maja) is a blogger who markets and writes for the Swedish blog Femme. She is a big user of Instagram and Twitter, which are social platforms she regularly uses to express her support for Lindelof and his career. Both lovers met while he was in Benfica.
Following Victor Lindelof’s move to the United, he decided to celebrate it by announcing his engagement to his girlfriend, Maja Nilsson. Victor popped the question while the pair were on holiday in the Maldives.
It was Maja, the social media frenzy lady, who officially made the announcement on Instagram that she and Lindelof were now engaged. She shared a photo of her flashy ring, which Lindelof no doubt splashed out on.
Both lovers tied the knot days later in a stunning ceremony in Sweden. It was a ceremony that only members of his family and very close friends attended.
Lindelof’s newly wedded wife wrote on her Instagram, accompanied by a bride and groom snap which said;
“I’ve been longing to be your wife since the first time I met you. Say hi to Mr and Mrs Nilsson Lindelöf.”
Maja has also been a regular source of amusement for Sweden and United fans due to the hilarious stories she shares about Lindelof. They enjoy a relationship where communication never fades.
A COD Pro:
Victor Lindelof loves playing Call of Duty. His obsession with the game goes as far as him carrying a console with him to away matches. While at home, he plays by himself or with his two brothers. In his words,
“We enjoy playing together. It’s a lot of fun to relax, chat, and pass the time playing Call of Duty,”
Victor said.
Did you know? Victor once kept his wife up all night while she was under the influence of a sleeping pill, all in the name of Call of Duty. According to Maja Nilsson Lindelöf,
“The other night, Victor insisted I take a sleeping pill, and I obliged. The next day, I found out he had stayed up all night playing while I was sound asleep.”
In disbelief, Maja exclaimed, “He drugged me for COD!”
The Hidden Side:
Victor okays his wife, Maja Nilsson, to release pictures of his private life. She once lifted the lid on his private life, tweeting some embarrassing pictures of the Swedish defender.
The first is him standing on a kitchen chair to reach his favourite cheese puffs, which she had hidden on the top shelf of the kitchen cupboard.
The second photo reveals her man being caught in the act of playing computer games in his scattered room when he should have been doing the laundry.
Unlike other footballers we have written about, these photos reveal too much transparency into Victor Lindelof’s Personal Life. He once responded to how he felt about his wife by putting up facts about his personal life, saying,
“It’s her Twitter and she’s very funny. She has to do what she wants. She likes to make fun of me and that’s fine. If people think she’s funny, she’ll do it.”
Fact Check:
Thanks for reading the story of Victor Lindelof. We strive for accuracy and fairness in our quest to deliver Swedish football players. Kindly stay tuned for more! The Life History of Anthony Elanga and Alexander Isak will excite you. If you see something that doesn’t look right in this article, please leave a comment or contact us!
