History of Martin Ødegaard in Timeline

Martin Ødegaard is a highly regarded Norwegian professional footballer. He currently captains both Premier League club Arsenal and the Norway national team. Known for his exceptional vision, passing accuracy, and impressive dribbling skills, he is widely recognized as one of the top midfielders in contemporary football.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1983: Sigurður Jónsson's record

In September 2014, Ødegaard made his competitive debut in the latter, replacing Mats Møller Dæhli in the 64th minute of a 2–1 home win breaking a record held since 1983 by Icelander Sigurður Jónsson.

December 1998: Martin Ødegaard Born

Martin Ødegaard was born in December 1998 and is a Norwegian professional footballer known for playing as a midfielder and captaining both Premier League club Arsenal and the Norway national team.

December 1998: Born in Drammen

Martin Ødegaard was born in Drammen on 17 December 1998, and spent his early years in the local sports club Drammen Strong.

2005: Artificial Turf Field Refit

In 2005, when Ødegaard was six, his parents invested in refitting the local club's gravel field, Kjappen, with artificial turf, which proved crucial for his development.

2009: Assistant manager of Mjøndalen IF

From 2009 to 2015, Martin Ødegaard's father, Hans Erik Ødegaard, was the assistant manager of Mjøndalen IF.

2009: Joined Strømsgodset Youth Division

In 2009, Ødegaard joined the youth division of Strømsgodset, training and playing with older boys to accelerate his development.

January 2010: Played for Buskerud Team

In January 2010, Ødegaard played his first matches for the Buskerud team, organized by the Norwegian Football Federation, showcasing his abilities against older opponents.

2011: Impressed Lars Tjærnås

In 2011, at age 12, Ødegaard impressed former football manager Lars Tjærnås during a nationwide tournament for under-16s, highlighting his exceptional talent.

2012: Training with Strømsgodset First Team

In 2012, at age 13, Ødegaard began training with the Strømsgodset first team and made his debut in a friendly match. He also visited Bayern Munich and Manchester United for short training stints.

2013: Played for Junior and Third Teams

In 2013, at age 14, Ødegaard played for both Strømsgodset's junior team (normally aged 17–19) and the club's third team, competing at different levels of Norwegian football.

January 2014: Part of Strømsgodset First Team

In January 2014, it was agreed that 15-year-old Ødegaard would be part of Strømsgodset's first team, though no professional contract was initially signed. He also trained with Mjøndalen IF.

February 2014: Debut for Norway national under-17 team

On February 28, 2014, Ødegaard debuted for the Norway national under-17 team as a substitute in a match against Iceland, contributing to a 2–1 victory.

March 2014: Starting line-up for Norway national under-17 team

In March 2014, Ødegaard was in the starting lineup for three away matches for the Norway national under-17 team, including a 3-0 win against Iceland on March 2nd, a 2-3 loss against Turkey on March 25th and a 0-3 loss against Greece on March 30th.

April 2014: Statoil Talent Award

In April 2014, Drammen Strong was selected by Ødegaard to receive a prize of 50,000 kroner (€5,800) when the young player was given the Statoil talent award.

April 2014: League Debut for Strømsgodset

In April 2014, Ødegaard made his league debut for Strømsgodset against Aalesunds FK, becoming the youngest player ever to play in Tippeligaen.

September 2014: Praised as a talented player

In September 2014, Martin Ødegaard's international teammate Morten Gamst Pedersen praised Ødegaard as the most talented player he had ever seen, highlighting his knowledge of the game and technical skills.

September 2014: Selected for Norway national under-21 team

In September 2014, Ødegaard was selected for the Norway national under-21 team for the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification match against Portugal and was named Man of the Match despite Norway losing 2-1.

September 2014: Called up to Norway's UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying matches

On September 30, 2014, Ødegaard was called up to Norway's UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying matches against Malta and Bulgaria.

December 2014: Training with Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Arsenal

In December 2014, during the Norwegian close season, Ødegaard trained with the first teams at Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and visited Arsenal's London Colney to explore potential future opportunities.

2014: Senior Club Career at Strømsgodset

In 2014, Ødegaard began his senior club career at age 15, playing for Strømsgodset, setting the Tippeligaen record for its youngest goalscorer.

2014: International Debut for Norway

In 2014, Ødegaard made his senior international debut for Norway at age 15, setting a record as the youngest senior Norway player and the youngest to play in a UEFA European Championship qualifying match.

January 2015: Agreement to Sign with Real Madrid

In January 2015, Real Madrid reached an agreement to sign Ødegaard from Strømsgodset. He would train with both the first team and Real Madrid Castilla, managed by Zinedine Zidane.

September 2015: Unused substitute against Croatia and played against England

On September 6, 2015, Ødegaard was an unused substitute for the senior team against Croatia. On September 7, he played the full 90 minutes for the under-21 team in the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification match against England, which Norway lost 0–1.

2015: Assistant manager of Mjøndalen IF

From 2009 to 2015, Martin Ødegaard's father, Hans Erik Ødegaard, was the assistant manager of Mjøndalen IF.

2015: Gift from Strømsgodset to Drammen Strong

In 2015, Drammen Strong received 250,000 kroner, equivalent to approximately €29,000, as a gift from Strømsgodset Toppfotball when Ødegaard was sold to Real Madrid.

2015: Named in Time's 30 most influential teenagers

In 2015, Martin Ødegaard was named in Time's 30 most influential teenagers.

2015: Signed for Real Madrid

In 2015, Ødegaard signed for Real Madrid in a transfer worth an initial €4 million (Kr. 35 million), where he set the club record for its youngest player.

2015: Professional Contract

In May 2014, Ødegaard signed a professional contract with Strømsgodset lasting until the end of 2015, removing restrictions on his appearances.

2015: Castilla Regular Starter

Ødegaard was a regular starter for Castilla during the 2015–16 season.

April 2016: Performance in win over SD Gernika Club

In April 2016, Ødegaard was praised in Diario AS for his performance in a 3–0 home win over SD Gernika Club, winning a penalty kick.

November 2016: First Start for Real Madrid

In November 2016, 679 days after signing for the club, Ødegaard made his first start for Real Madrid against Cultural Leonesa in the Copa del Rey.

2016: UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying matches

In September 2014, Ødegaard was called up to Norway's UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying matches against Malta and Bulgaria.

January 2017: Loan to SC Heerenveen

In January 2017, Ødegaard joined Dutch club SC Heerenveen on loan for 18 months, after also being close to agreeing a deal with Barcelona.

November 2017: First Regular-Season Goal for Heerenveen

In November 2017, Ødegaard scored his first regular-season goal for Heerenveen in a 4–0 win against FC Twente.

2017: Loan to Heerenveen

In 2017, Ødegaard joined Eredivisie club Heerenveen on loan to gain more playing experience.

2017: UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification match

On September 7, 2015, Ødegaard played the full 90 minutes for the under-21 team in the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification match against England, which Norway lost 0–1.

August 2018: Loan to SBV Vitesse

In August 2018, Real Madrid announced that Ødegaard would be loaned again for the 2018–19 season, joining another Eredivisie club, SBV Vitesse.

July 2019: Loan to Real Sociedad

In July 2019, Ødegaard was loaned to Real Sociedad for one season, with Real Madrid retaining the option to recall the player or extend the loan.

September 2019: Last Arsenal player to win Premier League Player of the Month

In September 2019, Martin Ødegaard became the first Arsenal player to win the Premier League Player of the Month since September 2019.

September 2019: Named La Liga Player of the Month

In September 2019, Ødegaard was named La Liga Player of the Month, recognizing his outstanding performances for Real Sociedad.

2019: Loan to Real Sociedad and Copa del Rey win

In 2019, Ødegaard joined La Liga club Real Sociedad on loan. He also won the Copa del Rey with Real Sociedad in 2019.

2019: Copa del Rey

In February 2020, he scored against Real Madrid to help his loan club eliminate his parent club from the 2019–20 Copa del Rey at the quarter-final stage.

February 2020: Scored Against Real Madrid

Real Sociedad reached the final of the competition, but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain; they also qualified for the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League after finishing sixth in La Liga and the season was a successful one for Ødegaard on a personal level.

2020: Return to Real Madrid and Champions League Debut

After being recalled from loan by Real Madrid in 2020, Ødegaard started the club's opening game of the season and made his Champions League debut in a win against Inter Milan.

January 2021: Loan to Arsenal

In January 2021, Ødegaard joined English Premier League club Arsenal on loan until the end of the season, seeking first-team football.

March 2021: Captain of Norway

In March 2021, Ødegaard assumed the full captaincy of the Norway national team.

March 2021: First Goal and Player of the Month for Arsenal

In March 2021, Ødegaard scored his first goal for Arsenal in a Europa League match against Olympiacos and also scored his first Premier League goal against Tottenham Hotspur. He was voted Arsenal's Player of the Month for March 2021.

August 2021: Permanent Signing with Arsenal

In August 2021, Arsenal announced the permanent signing of Ødegaard in a deal worth €35 million. He made his first appearance of the season against Manchester City.

2021: Signed for Arsenal

In 2021, Ødegaard signed for Arsenal in a transfer worth an initial £30 million (€35 million).

December 2022: Premier League Player of the Month award

In December 2022, Martin Ødegaard won the Premier League Player of the Month award for November/December, becoming the first Arsenal player to win the award since September 2019.