Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Henrikh Mkhitaryan

How Henrikh Mkhitaryan built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan is a highly accomplished Armenian professional footballer known for his versatility and technical skill as a midfielder. He currently plays for Inter Milan in Serie A. Throughout his career, he has played for top clubs including Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Roma, showcasing his talent across different leagues. Mkhitaryan is also a key player for the Armenian national team, serving as their captain and all-time top goalscorer. He is recognized for his playmaking abilities, vision, and goal-scoring contributions.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1995: Joined FC Pyunik youth system

In 1995, Mkhitaryan joined the FC Pyunik youth system.

2003: Trials with São Paulo in Brazil

In 2003, at the age of 14, Mkhitaryan had trials with São Paulo in Brazil.

2004: Returned to Pyunik

In 2004, Mkhitaryan returned to FC Pyunik after trials in Brazil, following insistence from manager Mihai Stoichiță.

2006: Professional Debut with FC Pyunik

In 2006, at the age of 17, Mkhitaryan made his professional debut with the first team of FC Pyunik.

January 2007: Debut for Armenia National Team

On 14 January 2007, Henrikh Mkhitaryan debuted for the Armenia national team in an away friendly match against Panama.

2007: Won Armenian Premier League and Supercup

In 2007, FC Pyunik won the Armenian Premier League and the Armenian Supercup with Mkhitaryan.

2007: Joined Senior National Team

In 2007, Mkhitaryan became a member of the senior side of the Armenia national football team.

2008: Won Armenian Premier League

In 2008, FC Pyunik won the Armenian Premier League with Mkhitaryan.

July 2009: Debut and First Goal for Metalurh Donetsk

In July 2009, Mkhitaryan debuted for Metalurh Donetsk, scoring in a Europa League victory against FC Partizan Minsk on 16 July 2009. He made his league debut on 19 July 2009 and scored his first league goal on 26 July 2009 against Karpaty Lviv.

August 2009: Scored against Interblock Ljubljana

On 6 August 2009, Mkhitaryan scored in a 3-0 Europa League win against Interblock Ljubljana.

2009: Move to Metalurh Donetsk

In 2009, Henrikh Mkhitaryan joined Metalurh Donetsk.

2009: Final Season with FC Pyunik and Treble Win

In 2009, Mkhitaryan last played for FC Pyunik, scoring 11 league goals. The club won the Armenian Premier League, Armenian Supercup, and Armenian Cup.

July 2010: Named Captain of Metalurh Donetsk

On 14 July 2010, at the age of 21, Mkhitaryan was named captain of Metalurh Donetsk, becoming the youngest captain in the club's history. On 16 July 2010, he scored a penalty in a 3-0 victory over Obolon Kyiv.

August 2010: Final Match for Metalurh Donetsk

On 30 August 2010, Mkhitaryan played his final match for Metalurh Donetsk in a 2–1 win against Dnipro.

August 2010: Signed for Shakhtar Donetsk

On 30 August 2010, Mkhitaryan signed for Shakhtar Donetsk for $7.5 million.

September 2010: Debut and First Goal for Shakhtar Donetsk

In September 2010, Mkhitaryan debuted for Shakhtar Donetsk on 10 September 2010 in a match against Obolon Kyiv. He scored his first goal for the club on 19 September 2010 against Tavriya Simferopol. On 28 September 2010, he made his European debut for the club in the Champions League against Sporting Braga.

2010: Move to Shakhtar Donetsk

In 2010, Henrikh Mkhitaryan moved to Shakhtar Donetsk for €6.1 million.

December 2011: Charity Visit to Stepanakert

In December 2011, Henrikh Mkhitaryan visited Stepanakert and donated gifts to the families of fallen soldiers, subsequently receiving the NKR Prime Minister's medal.

March 2012: Equalizing Goal Against Dnipro

On 4 March 2012, Mkhitaryan scored the equalizing goal in a 1-1 draw with Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.

April 2012: Goal in Cup Victory Over Metalurh Zaporizhya

On 11 April 2012, Mkhitaryan scored the only goal in a cup victory over Metalurh Zaporizhya.

May 2012: Ukrainian Cup Victory Over Metalurh Donetsk

On 6 May 2012, Mkhitaryan played in Shakhtar's 2-1 extra time victory over his former team Metalurh Donetsk in the Ukrainian Cup Final.

September 2012: First Champions League Goals

On 19 September 2012, Mkhitaryan scored twice in Shakhtar's first Champions League match of the season, a 2-0 victory over Nordsjælland.

2012: UEFA Euro Qualifying Dream Team

In 2012, Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored six goals for Armenia in UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group B, becoming the top goalscorer in that group. Despite Armenia not qualifying, Mkhitaryan's performance earned him a spot in the UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying Dream Team.

2012: League Goalscoring Record

In the 2012 season, Mkhitaryan set the league goalscoring record and was named the league's Footballer of the Year.

March 2013: 100th Ukrainian Premier League Game

On 16 March 2013, Mkhitaryan played his 100th game in the Ukrainian Premier League in a match against Chornomorets Odesa.

May 2013: Ukrainian Premier League Record

On 11 May 2013, Mkhitaryan scored his 23rd and 24th goals of the Premier League season, setting a Ukrainian Premier League record for most goals in a season.

June 2013: Borussia Dortmund's Bid

On 25 June 2013, Borussia Dortmund made a €23 million bid for Mkhitaryan.

July 2013: Debut for Borussia Dortmund

On 10 July 2013, Mkhitaryan debuted in a pre-season friendly against FC Basel, setting up a goal and scoring his first goal for the club.

August 2013: Bundesliga Debut and First Goals

On 18 August 2013, Mkhitaryan debuted for Dortmund in the Bundesliga. He scored his first two Bundesliga goals in a 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

September 2013: Captained Armenia for the First Time

On 10 September 2013, Henrikh Mkhitaryan captained Armenia for the first time in a World Cup qualification match against Denmark. He also became the top scorer in the history of the Armenia national team, surpassing Artur Petrosyan.

May 2014: Friendly Win Against the United Arab Emirates

On 27 May 2014, Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored twice in a 4-3 friendly win against the United Arab Emirates.

2014: Won DFL-Supercup

In 2014, Henrikh Mkhitaryan won a DFL-Supercup.

February 2015: Goal Against Schalke 04

On 28 February 2015, Mkhitaryan scored the second goal of a 3-0 win against rivals Schalke 04.

August 2015: Scored a Hat-Trick Against Wolfsberger AC

On 6 August 2015, Mkhitaryan scored a late hat-trick in a 5–0 victory against Wolfsberger AC. He also scored on 9 August 2015 against Chemnitzer FC and on 15 August 2015 against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

October 2015: Goal Against SC Paderborn 07

In October 2015, during the second round of the domestic cup on 28 October 2015, Mkhitaryan scored the final goal of a 7–1 rout of SC Paderborn 07.

2015: Opted not to travel to Azerbaijan

In 2015, Henrikh Mkhitaryan opted not to travel to Azerbaijan to play for Borussia Dortmund against Gabala.

April 2016: Scored in DFB-Pokal Semi-Final

On 20 April 2016, Mkhitaryan was one of three goalscorers as Borussia won 3–0 away at Hertha BSC in the semi-final of the DFB-Pokal.

July 2016: Mkhitaryan joins Manchester United

In July 2016, Henrikh Mkhitaryan's transfer to Manchester United from Dortmund was finalized. The move was prompted by Dortmund's concern that Mkhitaryan would leave for free the following year. He signed a four-year contract with Manchester United for a reported fee between £27 million and £30 million, becoming the first Armenian to join a Premier League club.

July 2016: Pre-season debut for Manchester United

On 15 July 2016, Henrikh Mkhitaryan made his debut for Manchester United in a pre-season match against Wigan Athletic, which resulted in a 2-0 victory.

August 2016: Competitive Debut and Premier League Debut

In August 2016, Henrikh Mkhitaryan made his competitive debut for Manchester United as a substitute in the 2016 FA Community Shield, a 2-1 victory against Leicester City on 7 August 2016. He also became the first Armenian to play in the Premier League on 14 August 2016, coming on as a substitute in a 3-1 victory against AFC Bournemouth.

September 2016: First Premier League Start

On 10 September 2016, Henrikh Mkhitaryan made his first Premier League start for Manchester United in the Manchester derby, but was substituted at half-time.

December 2016: First goal for Manchester United

In December 2016, Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored his first goal for Manchester United in a Europa League match against Zorya Luhansk on 8 December 2016. Three days later, on 11 December 2016, he scored his first Premier League goal in a 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, but suffered an ankle injury during the game.

February 2017: Europa League Goal and Injury

In February 2017, Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored in a UEFA Europa League tie against AS Saint-Étienne on 22 February 2017, but went off injured, causing him to miss the 2017 EFL Cup Final. Later, he scored in the 2017 Europa League final to help Manchester United win.

2017: Champions League Goal and Team Absence

During the 2017-18 Premier League season, Henrikh Mkhitaryan equalled a record by assisting five goals in the first three matches. He later scored his first Champions League goal for Manchester United against CSKA Moscow. However, due to poor form, he was dropped from the starting line-up and faced periods of absence from the squad.

January 2018: Mkhitaryan signs for Arsenal

On 22 January 2018, Henrikh Mkhitaryan joined Arsenal from Manchester United in a swap deal for Alexis Sánchez.

February 2018: First Start and Assists for Arsenal

On 3 February 2018, Henrikh Mkhitaryan made his first start for Arsenal in a 5-1 win over Everton, providing three assists. He later scored against Manchester United at Old Trafford, but did not celebrate out of respect for his former team.

2018: Goal and Injury for Arsenal

During the 2018-19 season, Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored and assisted against Chelsea, but Arsenal lost 3-2. He scored twice against Southampton in another 3-2 defeat, before suffering a metatarsal fracture.

2018: Opted not to travel to Azerbaijan for Arsenal

In 2018, Henrikh Mkhitaryan opted not to travel to Azerbaijan for Arsenal against Qarabağ.

2018: Signed for Arsenal

In 2018, Mkhitaryan was signed by Arsène Wenger for Arsenal in a swap-deal including Alexis Sánchez.

September 2019: Loan to A.S. Roma

On 2 September 2019, Henrikh Mkhitaryan joined A.S. Roma on a season-long loan deal. On 15 September 2019, Mkhitaryan debuted and scored in Roma's 4-2 win against Sassuolo. Later in September, he suffered an injury and returned in late November.

December 2019: Goal Against SPAL

In December 2019, Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored against SPAL on 12 December 2019, helping Roma move up to fourth place in the Serie A table.

January 2020: Thigh Muscle Injury

In January 2020, Henrikh Mkhitaryan suffered a thigh muscle injury, sidelining him for a month.

August 2020: Permanent Deal with Roma

On 31 August 2020, Henrikh Mkhitaryan's contract with Arsenal was cancelled by mutual consent, and he permanently joined Roma.

September 2020: Call for International Action

In September 2020, amid the Nagorno-Karabakh war, Henrikh Mkhitaryan called for international action to stop Azerbaijan from shelling civilian areas of Artsakh and urged the international community to recognize Artsakh's independence.

November 2020: Fastest Europa League Goal and Serie A Hat-Trick

In November 2020, Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored Roma's fastest-ever goal in the UEFA Europa League on 5 November 2020. Three days later, on 8 November 2020, he scored a hat-trick for Roma in a Serie A win against Genoa.

2020: Signed permanently for Roma

In 2020, Mkhitaryan signed permanently for Serie A club Roma after an initial loan.

March 2022: International Retirement

In March 2022, Henrikh Mkhitaryan announced his retirement from international football.

May 2022: UEFA Conference League Victory

On 25 May 2022, Henrikh Mkhitaryan was in the starting eleven for Roma in the UEFA Conference League final against Feyenoord, which Roma won 1-0.

July 2022: Signed for Inter Milan

In July 2022, Henrikh Mkhitaryan signed for Serie A club Inter Milan on 2 July 2022.

2022: Joined Internazionale

In 2022, Mkhitaryan joined Internazionale.

2022: International Retirement

In 2022, Mkhitaryan retired from international football.

May 2023: Champions League Semifinal Goal

On 10 May 2023, Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored a goal for Inter Milan in a 2-0 win over rivals Milan in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals.

June 2023: First Armenian in Champions League Final

On 10 June 2023, Henrikh Mkhitaryan became the first Armenian to participate in the UEFA Champions League final, appearing as a substitute against Manchester City.