 Ajibade withAtlético Madrid in January 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rasheedat Busayo Ajibade[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1999-12-08)8 December 1999 (age 25)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Lagos, Nigeria[3] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)[3] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Paris Saint-Germain | |||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2018 | FC Robo | (9) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2020 | Avaldnes | 39 | (12) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2025 | Atlético Madrid | 136 | (40) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Paris Saint-Germain | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014-2016 | Nigeria U17 | 11 | (10) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2016-2018 | Nigeria U20 | 13 | (11) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2018– | Nigeria | 38 | (20) | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 30 June 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 27 July 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Rasheedat Busayo AjibadeListenⓘOON (born 8 December 1999) is a Nigerian professionalfootballer who plays as aforward for FrenchPremière Ligue clubParis Saint-Germain and theNigeria women's national team.
Ajibade representedNigeria at age grade competitions, before making her competitive debut for the senior team at the 2018WAFU Cup inCôte d'Ivoire. In 2017, she was named first in a top 10 list of most promising young footballers on the African continent byGoal.com.[4]
Ajibade played forFC Robo from the 2013Nigeria Women Premier League season till 2018 season. In 2014, she was listed as one of the best young talents in the league.[5] In September 2018, she won the Nigerian women football freestyle competition for the second consecutive time.[6]
During the2015 Nigeria Women Premier League week 2 games, Ajibade was listed in the team of the week, compiled bySoccerladuma South Africa, despite her team losing toConfluence Queens during the round of matches.[7] For the2017 Nigeria Women Premier League season, Ajibade was made team captain ofFC Robo.[8] Ajibade was one of the scorers in Robos' home win against Ibom Angels during the season.[9] On 13 July 2017, after losing to visitorsRivers Angels, Ajibade was quoted bySuperSport to rue her team chances of qualifying forSuper 4, because of the difference in points and the limited number of games remaining.[10] Ajibade won the first edition of Nigeria National Freestyle Championship,[11] which is a competition to promotefreestyling football.[12] In 2017, despite Robo not being among teams that finished tops, Ajibade was voted player of the season after scoring eight goals to save her team from relegation.[13] In May 2018, she was nominated as the best player in the2017 Nigeria Women Premier League atNigeria Pitch Awards.[14] In December 2018, Ajibade was reported to have signed a two-year contract with Norwegian side,Avaldsnes IL, a team that plays in theToppserien.[15][16]On January 1, 2021,Atletico Madrid announced the signing of Rasheedat Ajibade on a two-year deal.[17] In January 2022, Rasheedat Ajibade extended her contract withAtletico Madrid for a further three years, until 2025.[18]
On August 26, 2025, Ajibade joinedParis Saint Germain on a two-year deal that will until June 30, 2027.[19]
Rasheedat Ajibade has represented Nigeria atunder-17,under-20 and senior national team.[20] In the African qualifiers, en route to the2014 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, Ajibade scored a brace for Nigeria first leg win overNamibia.[21] At thecompetition proper, Ajibade scored the winning goal in Nigeria's first game againstChina.[22] In the final group game againstMexico, Ajibade scored a goal in Nigeria, two goal win to seal a quarter final game withSpain.[23]
Ajibade was named in Coach Bala Nikiyu 21-man squad for2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, wearing jersey number 10.[24][25] At the competition, Ajibade was the captain ofNigeria, and spoke toFIFA.com on the determination of the team to do better than the quarter-final finish they had in 2014.[26] Ajibade was also part ofNigeria players at2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, she was named man-of-the-match in the second group game againstCanada.[27]
In the first round encounter to determine Africa's representative at2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, Ajibade scored a brace in the first leg tie against Tanzania, that gave Nigeria a three-goal advantage before the return leg in Dar e Sallam.[28] In the return leg, played in October 2017, Ajibade scored two goals in Nigeria six goal win against the home-side.[29] On 27 January 2018, Ajibade scored two goals in Nigeria's six goal win againstSouth Africa, the win confirmedNigeria's qualification for the2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in France.[30]
In February 2018, Ajibade alongsideJoy Jegede,Osarenoma Igbinovia and 18 other players were selected by head coach,Thomas Dennerby to represent Nigeria at the inaugural edition ofWAFU Cup in Côte d'Ivoire.[31] In the second group game of the regional tournament, Ajibade scored a hat-trick to take Nigeria to the semi-finals with a game left.[32][33]
Ajibade was part of the2018 African Nations ChampionshipNigeria women's national football team where she won the tournament alongside the team.[34] She captained the Super Falcons for the first time in a 1-0 friendly victory over Slovenian club, Olimpija Lubijana in Vienna, Austria.[34]
On 24 May 2019, Ajibade was called up to the Nigeria squad for the2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.[35]
Ajibade was called up to the Nigeria squad for the2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations.[36]
On 16 June 2023, she was included in the 23-player Nigerian squad for theFIFA Women's World Cup 2023.[37]
During the Olympic qualifiers for theParis 2024 Olympics, Ajibade scored a crucial penalty for the Super Falcons in their match against South Africa. This victory secured Nigeria's qualification for the competition, which begins in July 2024.[38]
Ajibade was called up to the Nigeria squad for the2024 Summer Olympics.[39]
Ajibade captained the Nigerian team at the2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations. On 26th July 2025, they won the tournament after a 3-2 victory over hostsMorocco.[40] She was namedPlayer of the Tournament.[41]
In the summer of 2020, Rasheedat Ajibade launched the annual #StandOutWithRASH campaign,[citation needed] in partnership with leading Nigerian athlete branding company, EaglesTracker. It is a social media campaign aimed at promoting grassroots football talents within Nigeria. Rasheedat Ajibade uses her social media platform to provide visibility, encouragement, as well as football boots, jerseys and cash prizes to aspiring footballers who show how they stand out on the football field.
She also launched her official brand, RASH, which features a unique merchandise collection available for purchase to fans online. The brand is also involved in several other efforts within Nigeria.
Rasheedat Ajibade Foundation recently launched a footballer-focused medical outreach, partnering with The Balm InfusClinic to educate players on life-saving techniques. The program, conducted inLagos, Nigeria, included CPR and first aid training for FC Robo Queens and Ighalo Football Academy. Atletico Madrid star Rasheedat Ajibade, who initiated the foundation, aims to empower Nigerian youths. Known for her football achievements, including success with Atletico de Madrid and contributions to Nigeria's national team, Her foundation demonstrates a commitment to both sports and community empowerment.[42]
Ajibade is a devoutChristian, and in a 2022 match for the national team after scoring a goal she wore a t-shirt under her jersey with written "Thank You Jesus".[43]
Rasheedat Ajibade was announced as a brand ambassador for Pluralcode, and subsequently launched the RASHxPluralcode Tech Scholarship in March 2023, partnering with Pluralcode Academy on a scholarship program to provide free tech training in UI/UX design and Web Development to 60 Nigerians annually.
Atlético Madrid
Nigeria
Individual
Nigeria squads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
