Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Martin Ødegaard

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Martin Ødegaard made an impact.

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

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: 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: 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: 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.

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.

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.

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.