Biography
Who is Martin Ødegaard?
Early life and background
Martin Ødegaard was born on December 17, 1998, in Drammen, Norway. His father is Hans Erik Ødegaard, who is a former footballer and coached his son's early teams. Martin spent his first years involved with the local sports club Drammen Strong.
As a young boy, Martin trained frequently on a local gravel field that was refitted with artificial turf after local families, including his parents, invested funds to improve the facilities. This allowed him to spend countless hours practicing his skills.
Club career beginnings
Martin joined the youth division of Strømsgodset in 2009 and frequently trained with older age groups. In 2014, he made his league debut for the club against Aalesunds FK, becoming the youngest footballer ever to play in the Tippeligaen at fifteen years and 118 days old.
Shortly after his league debut, he signed his first professional contract and became the youngest goalscorer in the league during a match against Sarpsborg 08 FF. He also made his European debut later that same year in the UEFA Champions League.
Real Madrid and loan spells
In January 2015, Real Madrid reached an agreement to sign Martin from Strømsgodset. He initially trained with both the senior squad and the reserve team, Real Madrid Castilla, which was managed by Zinedine Zidane.
He made his official debut for Real Madrid as a substitute for Cristiano Ronaldo, becoming the youngest debutant in the club history at sixteen years and 157 days old. During subsequent seasons, he gained further top-flight experience through loan spells with Heerenveen, Vitesse, and Real Sociedad, winning the Copa del Rey with the latter.
Arsenal and international career
Following a loan period in early 2021, Martin signed a permanent deal with Premier League club Arsenal in August 2021. He was later appointed as the club captain in July 2022 and won the Premier League with the team during the 2025-26 season.
On the international stage, Martin made his senior debut for the Norway national team in 2014 at age fifteen, setting records as the youngest senior player and the youngest participant in a UEFA European Championship qualifying match. He assumed the full national team captaincy in March 2021.
Personal details
Martin stands at a height of 178 centimeters. His partner is Helene Spilling Ødegaard. He continues to play as a prominent midfielder at the club and international levels.
Throughout his development and professional path, Martin has set multiple records for youth participation and goalscoring across Norwegian and European football competitions.
Birthday and age
Martin Ødegaard was born on December 17, 1998, which makes Martin 27 years old today. That birthday falls under the Sagittarius sign. Martin shares the date with 28 other famous people.
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