Finnish Sports 2019: Standout Athletes, Missed Finals, and Big Surprises

If you think Finnish sports are just about ice and snow, 2019 was the year that said, "Think again." Finnish athletes didn’t just show up—they made the rest of Europe sit up and look. Teemu Pukki, who most kids in Helsinki can tell you about, pretty much ruled every headline. He wasn’t alone, though. Finland’s best talents were pushing for top spots in football, ice hockey, skiing, and even basketball.

But here’s the twist—2019 wasn’t all about winning medals. It had some drama nobody saw coming. Like the national men’s football team, which finally made Finns believe they could play with the big boys. Or the ice hockey season that just...stopped. No playoff buzz, no championship parades, just empty arenas and a big "what if" after COVID-19 hit. Not something you see happen since 1944.

If you’re a fan wondering what made 2019 stand out, or just curious why Teemu Pukki’s name pops up everywhere, you’re in the right place. We’ll break down the best athletes, the biggest moments, and some facts that’ll surprise even die-hard fans. Ready to see what really went down in Finnish sports?

• Finland’s Star Athletes
• Men’s National Football Team On the Rise
• The Ice Hockey Season That Wasn’t
• Basketball, Boxing, and Beyond
• Finland’s Struggle with Domestic Football Attendance
• What 2019 Revealed About Finnish Sporting Spirit

Finland’s Star Athletes

2019 was the year Finnish athletes really got noticed, not just at home, but all over Europe. Teemu Pukki led the charge. Anyone who followed football in Finland could see why his name topped every highlight reel. Pukki didn’t just score goals for Norwich City; he helped Finland qualify for their first-ever men's major football tournament—UEFA Euro 2020. That was huge for Finnish fans, and this single achievement made him the talk of the year across all sports.

If you scroll through the other top Finnish stars from 2019, it feels like a who's who of the country’s sports scene. There’s Lukas Hradecký, the goalkeeper giving football fans reasons to watch Bundesliga matches with pride. Iivo Niskanen, who keeps shining in cross-country skiing—basically a national pastime in Finland. Basketball fans were following Lauri Markkanen’s progress in the NBA. Even if Finnish basketball hasn’t broken into world headlines, Markkanen was making waves in Chicago and putting Finnish hoops on the map.

Let’s not forget ice hockey, where names like Marko Anttila and Aleksander Barkov grabbed headlines for their work on the ice. Anttila, especially, had that fairy-tale story: captaining Finland to World Championship gold and becoming a national hero overnight. Valtteri Bottas was tearing up Formula 1 circuits, Mira Potkonen punched her way to a European boxing medal, and Leo-Pekka Tähti proved unbeatable in para-athletics.

Just to give you a sense of who made the most noise in Finnish sports in 2019, here’s how the annual Urheilutoimittajain Liitto (Sports Journalists’ Association) rankings looked for the top spots:

What stands out is the variety—*football* (the most important keyword here), skiing, racing, hockey, and even boxing all have their heads held high. If you’re trying to understand what gets Finns cheering, take a look at this list and you’ll see it’s not just about one sport or a single star. These athletes, in their own way, helped lift the whole mood of Finnish sports in 2019.

Men’s National Football Team On the Rise

The Finnish men’s national football team really stole the national spotlight in 2019. For years, Finland felt like the odd one out compared to their Nordic neighbors—Sweden and Denmark had their Euro memories, even Iceland had their Cinderella story, but for Finland, actually qualifying for something big seemed like a wild dream. That narrative started to shift during 2019’s European Championship qualifiers.

Under coach Markku Kanerva, who walked away with Coach of the Year for the second time, the squad played organized, gutsy football. Teemu Pukki was their hero up front, bagging 10 goals in the qualifiers—every Finnish football fan now knows that number. The team’s defense, led by reliable faces like Paulus Arajuuri and Jere Uronen, finally gave the midfielders and forwards the freedom to play fast, attacking football. This wasn’t just about sitting back and hoping for a 0-0 draw anymore.

Even though Finland’s domestic league crowds are still among the lowest in the Nordics, the national team drew record TV audiences and sold out the Helsinki Olympic Stadium for the big games. Suddenly, wearing a Huuhkajat (Eagle Owls) jersey was something to brag about, not just an inside joke.

If you’re thinking about what really changed, it’s simple: better coaching, a tight defense, and having a proven goal scorer up front. The team’s rise has also put a fresh spotlight on Finnish grassroots football, sparking more kids to join local clubs and giving lifelong fans a reason to hope for more. For the first time, Finnish sports headlines were about football, not just hockey or skiing. 2019 made everyone believe that Finnish football can be about more than moral victories.

The Ice Hockey Season That Wasn’t

No one expected the 2019–20 Liiga season in Finland to hit a wall so suddenly. Ice hockey is a big deal—ask anyone, and you'll hear stories about nail-biting finals, sold-out stadiums, and fans glued to every match. But this season? It stopped in its tracks, thanks to COVID-19. For the first time since 1944, the Liiga championship had no winner. That's 76 years since Finns last saw an empty spot on the winners' list.

Here's what happened: everything seemed normal up until March 2020. Teams were gearing up for the playoffs, and fans expected the usual spring hockey drama. But after restrictions on public gatherings were put in place, the Finnish Ice Hockey Association had to pull the plug. One day the league was planning for the postseason, and the next, the season was just over—no finals, no champion, just disappointment all around.

Take a look at the numbers that put this into perspective:

For players and coaches, this was a nightmare. Some had been eyeing the championship their whole careers, and now the shot at glory was just gone. Clubs lost ticket revenue, and supporters missed out on their favorite spring tradition. Local sports bars were empty, and even big broadcasters scrambled for what to show.

So why is this story a big deal for Finnish sports? Because it showed just how much the country cares about hockey, and how fragile even the most reliable events can be. Other leagues tried to adapt with games in empty arenas or bubble tournaments, but in Finland, they decided not to risk it. Safety came first, even if it meant breaking a decades-long streak.

Going forward, teams have worked to prepare for the unexpected. Some invested more in streaming games and improving digital fan experiences. Others came up with flexible contracts for players, knowing that another curveball might come. If you're in Finland, the canceled season is a reminder that sport is about more than just winning—sometimes, it's about adapting and sticking together, even if there’s no trophy.

Basketball, Boxing, and Beyond

2019 wasn’t just the year for football or hockey in Finland. Basketball got loads of attention, mostly thanks to Lauri Markkanen doing his thing in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls. Markkanen was one of the top Finnish athletes that year—a big deal for a country where you’re more likely to find a hockey stick than a basketball in someone’s hands. His performance inspired a lot of young Finns to check out the sport or at least stay up late to watch his games online.

Finland’s reach went outside the NBA, too. The men’s team, nicknamed Susijengi (the Wolf Pack), kept up their international appearances. Participating in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers, they showed progress, even though they didn’t make it to the big tournament that year. But fans were hyped: seeing Finns play on a global stage put local hoops in the spotlight like never before.

Boxing was another bright spot. Mira Potkonen, already known for snagging an Olympic bronze in 2016, shined again in 2019. She took home a bronze at the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, showing everyone she’s still one of the toughest around. Potkonen has become a household name, especially because women's boxing isn’t exactly the most followed sport in Finland. Yet her grit and drive pull new fans in every time she steps in the ring.

Other athletes made headlines, too. Leo-Pekka Tähti crushed it in athletics—and if you’re counting achievements, he’s a five-time Paralympic gold medalist. Tähti’s sprinting events on the track, especially in the T54 wheelchair racing category, always get people talking.

For anyone who likes numbers, here’s how some of Finland’s top athletes fared in 2019:

If you’re following Finnish sports just for the usual suspects, you might miss out on some seriously impressive stories playing out in these "other" sports. These athletes are making sure that when you say "Finnish athlete," you aren’t just talking hockey or skiing anymore.

Finland’s Struggle with Domestic Football Attendance

Here’s a head-scratcher: while Finns go wild for their national football team, the crowds at domestic league matches are surprisingly small. In 2019, Finland’s Veikkausliiga struggled to fill seats—even when the national team was making history and getting the country excited about football again.

Take the numbers: in 2019, average attendance for Veikkausliiga matches hovered around 2,800 people per game. To put this into perspective, in neighboring Sweden and Norway, league match averages regularly go above 8,000. That’s a huge gap—and it matters, because ticket sales and the energy of packed stands can make or break how a league grows.

This isn’t about a lack of passion for Finnish sports either. When the national team qualified for their first men's Euro tournament in 2019, the country was buzzing. But fans seemed to save their cheers for international matches and skipped the local league games. Even top clubs like HJK Helsinki and KuPS, who do well in Europe, struggle to fill their own stadiums.

So why the lukewarm response? A few things come up again and again:

• Short football season: The long winter squeezes the Finnish league into a tight summer window, competing with everyone’s holiday plans.
• Facilities: Many stadiums are small and lack the comfort or atmosphere to draw families or big groups.
• Competition from other sports: Ice hockey takes center stage in Finland, with bigger budgets, flashier arenas, and more loyal fans.
• Media attention: Domestic football doesn’t get the TV coverage or hype you see in Sweden or Denmark, so there’s less buzz for regular games.

For the clubs, this means getting creative—discounted tickets, family events, or teaming up with local schools just to get more people through the turnstiles. Some clubs have launched fan loyalty programs or improved food stalls and matchday experiences, but there’s no instant fix.

The low attendance is a real hurdle in taking Finnish football to the next level. Without bigger crowds and stronger local support, clubs can’t bring in better players or boost the whole league’s profile. If you ever wondered why stars like Teemu Pukki shine abroad instead of staying in Finland, this is a big part of the story.

What 2019 Revealed About Finnish Sporting Spirit

2019 was a year that really put Finnish sports under the spotlight, not just for what happened on the field, but for how the whole country responded to a mix of big wins and huge setbacks. If you want to understand what keeps Finnish athletes and fans ticking, just look at how folks handled both the good and bad news.

Let’s start with the obvious: when the men’s football team broke their drought and started looking like real contenders, fans across Finland got behind them. It was the little things—packed public screenings, viral social media celebrations, and random people high-fiving strangers in the streets—that showed how much it meant. Coach Markku Kanerva even said the team’s drive came from feeling that "every Finn was behind them." This isn’t a cliché. When Finland finally qualified for a major football tournament for the first time ever, streets were full of singing. That togetherness became a huge support engine.

On the flip side, the abrupt shutdown of the Liiga ice hockey season was a punch to the gut. Teams, fans, sponsors—nobody wanted to see a championship left vacant. Yet, people showed understanding. Nobody blamed the officials or lashed out online. Teams used the break to support their communities—organizing food drives and virtual meet-ups for fans stuck at home. The willingness to pull together and look after each other, even when everyone was disappointed, really says something about Finnish sporting culture.

If you want stats to back this up, just look at these numbers from 2019:

So what’s the takeaway? The real story in Finnish sports isn’t just about wins, trophies, or big names like Teemu Pukki. It’s about how players and fans stuck together, kept supporting each other, and kept believing even when things didn’t go their way. Finland may be small in numbers, but that year showed their sporting spirit is massive. If you’re looking for a fan culture that’s loyal, patient, and always hoping for the next big moment, Finland 2019 is a solid example.