Original Adidas training shirt Sweden 2013/14

The Swedish team has been traditionally recognized as one of the world's best women's teams and won the 1984 European Competition for Women's Football. Like the equally successful men's counterpart, the women's team also became runners-up at a World Cup (2003) and three European Championships (1987, 1995 and 2001), as well as participating at six Olympic Games, eight World Cups and ten European Championships. Sweden also finished third at the 1991, 2011 and 2019 World Cups.

The 2003 World Cup-final was the only second time Sweden ever reached the final of a FIFA World Cup after the 1958 FIFA World Cup Final, and was the second most watched event in Sweden that year. Lotta Schelin is the top goalscorer in the history of Sweden with 85 goals. Schelin surpassed Hanna Ljungberg's 72-goal record against Germany on 29 October 2014. The player with the most caps is Caroline Seger, with 229. The team was coached by Thomas Dennerby from 2005 to 2012, and Pia Sundhage from 2012 to 2017. The current head coach is Peter Gerhardsson.

After winning the two qualifying matches against Denmark for the Beijing 2008 Olympics, the Swedish Olympic Committee approved of record increases in investments for the women's team. The new budget granted over a million SEK (about US$150,000) for the team and 150,000 SEK (about US$25,000) per player for developing physical fitness. The new grants are almost a 100% increase of the 2005 and 2006 season funds.

The developments and conditions of the Sweden women's national football team from its beginnings until 2013 can be seen in the 2013 three-part Sveriges Television documentary television series The Other Sport.