.jpg) | |||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1988-01-02)2 January 1988 (age 38)[1] | ||||||||||
| Place of birth | Herat, Afghanistan | ||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||
| Position | Forward | ||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||
Current team | HB Køge | ||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||
| 2000–? | Gug Boldklub | ||||||||||
| ?–2005 | B52/Aalborg FC | ||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Team Viborg | ||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||
| 2006–2012 | IK Skovbakken | 91 | (88) | ||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Fortuna Hjørring | 43 | (31) | ||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Sky Blue FC | 24 | (13) | ||||||||
| 2015–2016 | →Fortuna Hjørring (loan) | 15 | (12) | ||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Portland Thorns FC | 37 | (19) | ||||||||
| 2018 | Manchester City | 15 | (6) | ||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Paris Saint-Germain | 27 | (18) | ||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Racing Louisville | 25 | (10) | ||||||||
| 2024–2025 | AC Milan | 27 | (4) | ||||||||
| 2025 | →Hammarby (loan) | 7 | (2) | ||||||||
| 2025– | HB Køge | 9 | (12) | ||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||
| 2009–2025 | Denmark | 108 | (38) | ||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 28 August 2028 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 8 July 2025 | |||||||||||
Nadia Nadim (Pashto:نادیه ندیم; born 2 January 1988) is a professionalfootballer who plays as astriker for theA-Liga clubKøge. Born in Afghanistan, she has played for theDenmark national team.
Nadim is considered the most influential and greatest Afghan female footballer of all time, particularly because she has won league titles in two countries, theUSA league title in2017 with thePortland Thorns and theFrench league title in2020–21 withParis Saint-Germain.[2] Nadim was named the Danish Footballer of the Year in 2016 and 2017.[3][4][5]
Nadia was born inHerat, Afghanistan and raised there during her early childhood in a wealthy family. When Nadim was 9 years old her father, anAfghan National Army (ANA) general, was executed by theTaliban.[1][6][7] When she was 11, Nadim, her mother and her four sisters fled Afghanistan and arrived in Denmark as refugees.[7][8] She recounted later that when she was in the refugee camp she received football training.[9][10] Shortly after arriving in Denmark, when 12 years old, she continued playing football and joined the small local club GUG inAalborg.[7] Her senior career began at B52 Aalborg and Team Viborg.[11][12]
Nadim played for B52 Aalborg, Team Viborg from 2005 to 2006 andIK Skovbakken from 2006 to 2012, before moving toFortuna Hjørring in 2012.[13] She made herChampions League debut in September the same year, scoring both goals in a 2–1 win over Scottish ChampionsGlasgow City.[14]
Nadim joined NWSL clubSky Blue FC near the end of the 2014 NWSL season. Playing in six games, she scored seven goals and registered three assists. She was named player of the week on 19 August and player of the month for the NWSL on 14 August. On 16 February 2015, Sky Blue announced that Nadim had been signed to play for Sky Blue in the 2015 season as well.[15]
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On 14 January 2016, Nadim was traded toPortland Thorns FC.[16] Playing as a striker, she finished the2016 season as the team's top scorer with nine goals in 20 games as the team won the2016 NWSL Shield. In the 2017 season, she helped the team to a second-place finish in the league[17] and victory in theNWSL Championship game.
On 28 September 2017, Nadim signed forFA Women's Super League sideManchester City for the 2018 season. She joined the club in January 2018,[18] and made her debut with Manchester City on 7 January 2018 in a 5–2 win over Reading. After six minutes on the ground she scored her first goal for the team, and 26 minutes later she made an assist when Manchester City scored their second goal in the match.[19] In her second match for the team she scored the winning goal in a 1–0 victory over Chelsea in the semi-final of the Continental Tyres Cup.[20]
On 26 July 2018, while on the US tour with Manchester City, the BBC reported that Nadim had requested a transfer out of the club, stating that she had never felt at home there and wanted to leave.[21] On 19 December 2018, Manchester City announced that Nadim would be departing the club and her contract would be terminated on 1 January 2019, allowing her to sign with another club.[22]
On 3 January 2019, Nadim signed forParis Saint-Germain.[2]
On 9 July 2019, Nadim extended her contract for Paris Saint-Germain[23] after a successful first season. She was later rewarded with the captain's armband and named the team's vice captain for the 2019–20 season. She scored 13 goals and made 13 assists in 16 league and cup games.
On 9 June 2021, Nadim signed withRacing Louisville FC,[24] returning to the NWSL four years after leaving Portland Thorns FC for Manchester City.
In September 2021, with the NWSL reeling from abuse scandals, she accusedNJ/NY Gotham FC management of forging her signature on a contract extension so they could trade her rights to Portland in January 2016. She also accused league staffers of pressuring her to have a surgery for her season-endingACL injury[25] in the United States rather than abroad, threatening that "if something went wrong with the surgery outside of US they could consider taking actions against me."[26]
Nadim's Racing Louisville contract expired in December 2023.[27] She left Racing Louisville as the club's best ever goal scorer.[28]
On 27 January 2024, Nadim signed withAC Milan for the rest of the 2023–24 season.[29] On 26 March 2025, AC Milan announced that Nadim would be on loan withHammarby IF for the remainder of the season.[30] After she left for Hammerby she complained that her coach in Milan,Suzanne Bakker, made her feel like "training in the refugee camp was better". Nadia being from Afghanistan, and played football in a refugee camp.[9][10]
UnderDanish nationality law Nadim could not apply for citizenship until turning 18 years old in 2006. When citizenship was eventually granted in 2008,FIFA eligibility rules blocked Nadim from playing for Denmark, because she had not yet been resident for the requisite five years after turning 18.[31] A subsequent challenge from theDanish Football Association (DBU) led toFIFA's legal department making an exception to the rules in Nadim's case.[32]
Nadim immediately became a member of theDenmark national team, making her debut in the2009 Algarve Cup in a 2–0 defeat by theUnited States.[33][34] In doing so, she became the firstnaturalised Dane to represent a Denmark senior national football team.[35] She participated in all three of Denmark's games atUEFA European Championship 2009 in Finland.
She was named in nationalcoachKenneth Heiner-Møller's Denmark squad forUEFA European Championship 2013.[36] In Denmark's opening group match against hostsSweden Nadim featured as asubstitute in an eventful 1–1 draw.[37]
In theUEFA Women's Euro 2017 tournament, she was instrumental in Denmark's advancement, scoring the tying goal in Denmark'seventual 2–1 win over favorites Germany in the knockout stages, and scoring a go-ahead goal inthe final, which Denmark ultimately lost to the hosts Netherlands 4–2.
On 27 October 2020, Denmark had to win away against Italy to qualify for theUEFA European Championship 2022, and Nadim was crowned player of the match after scoring two crucial goals in Denmark's 3–1 win over Italy in Florence. The two goals secured Denmark's spot in the upcoming Euros.[38]
On 24 June 2022, she played her 100th match for Denmark in a friendly match againstBrazil, an historic occasion for the national team as their first ever match in theDanish national stadium.[39]
After 16 years with the national team, Nadim announced on 23 June 2025 that she would be retiring after the2025 Euros.[4][5] She was called up for the tournament after not having featured in a match for Denmark since December 2023.[40][41][42]
Nadim is recognized for her energetic and determined style of play.[43] She is successful from the penalty spot, having converted all but one of her penalties in the NWSL (and with the one miss being a save by the goalkeeper and immediately scored by Nadim on the rebound) and both of her attempts at Euro 2017.[44]
In December 2021, Nadim received criticism in the media for describingQatar as a nation that helps people in need.[45] Her positive description of the state was in conflict with the general consensus in the Danish population and the opinion formulated by the Danish FA on the suppression ofhuman rights and poor conditions formigrant workers in Qatar.[46] Subsequently, Nadim denied having received money for her performance in Qatar, which turned out to be untrue when Danish newspaperB.T. found out that she had received payment for attending the education summit in the country.[47]
As a consequence of her role as an ambassador for World Cup in Qatar, Danish Refugee Council removed Nadim from her role as a goodwill ambassador.[48] Nadim stated on her Twitter that her collaboration with the Danish Refugee Council had been inactive since the beginning of 2019. However,B.T. demonstrated that this statement was inaccurate.[49][50]
Nadim attendedmedical school atAarhus University (remotely during the football season) with the aim of becoming a surgeon when her playing days are over.[11][8] In 2020, she was assisting in surgery.[12] She qualified as a doctor in January 2022.[51]
Nadim isMuslim,[8] and speaks eight languages.[52]
Afghan singerAryana Sayeed is her aunt.[53]
In 2018,Forbes ranked her Number 20 in their "Most Powerful Women in International Sports" list.[54]
In 2024,Corriere della Sera included her in its "Women of the year" list.[55]
Her mother, Hamida Nadim, was killed in a motor vehicle accident on 23 November 2022, aged 57. When Nadia learned that her mother had died, she departed during her work as a pundit for British broadcasterITV at the Denmark–Tunisia match in theMen's World Cup.[56]
On August 9, 2024, Nadim married her long-term partner Idrees in Istanbul. Nadim's aunt Aryana Sayeed performed at the wedding. According to Nadim's sister, the couple had met when they both resided in Viby near Aarhus.[57]
Nadia signed a representation contract withNike in 2017, making her the first ever Danish female football player to be represented by Nike.[58] Nike has used Nadia in many of their branches on top of doing work for the football department. She has also done commercials forAir Jordan[59] as well as Nike's collaborations withMartine Rose.[60] Besides her work with Nike, Nadia is also known for her work withVisa[61] andHugo Boss.[62]
In 2016, Danish TV stationDR released a four-episode long documentary about Nadia that followed her from Denmark to the United States, documenting her player development with the Portland Thorns.[63]
In 2018, Danish publisherJP/Politiken published Nadia Nadim's autobiography called "Min Historie"[64] which translates to "My Story". The book got nominated for Sports book of the year. The book was released in French on 26 May 2021, through the French publisherHachette Book Group.[65]
In 2023, Nadia entered a collaboration withH&M along withZlatan Ibrahimovic, to be the face of H&M's sports section called H&M Move[66]
| Key(expand for notes on "international goals" and sorting) | |
|---|---|
| Location | Geographic location of the venue where the competition occurred Sorted by country name first, then by city name |
| Lineup | Start – played entire match onminute (offplayer) – substituted on at theminute indicated, andplayer was substituted off at the same time offminute (onplayer) – substituted off at theminute indicated, andplayer was substituted on at the same time |
| # | NumberOfGoals.goalNumber scored by the player in the match (alternate notation toGoal in match) |
| Min | The minute in the match the goal was scored. For list that include caps, blank indicates played in the match but did not score a goal. |
| Assist/pass | The ball was passed by the player, whichassisted in scoring the goal. This column depends on the availability and source of this information. |
| penalty orpk | Goal scored onpenalty-kick which was awarded due to foul by opponent. (Goals scored in penalty-shoot-out, at the end of a tied match after extra-time, are not included.) |
| Score | The match score after the goal was scored. Sorted by goal difference, then by goal scored by the player's team |
| Result | The final score. Sorted by goal difference in the match, then by goal difference in penalty-shoot-out if it is taken, followed by goal scored by the player's team in the match, then by goal scored in the penalty-shoot-out. For matches with identical final scores, match ending in extra-time without penalty-shoot-out is a tougher match, therefore precede matches that ended in regulation |
| aet | The score at the end ofextra-time; the match was tied at the end of 90' regulation |
| pso | Penalty-shoot-out score shown in parentheses; the match was tied at the end of extra-time |
| Green background color –exhibition or closed door international friendly match | |
| Yellow background color – match at an invitational tournament | |
| Orange background color – Continental Games or regional tournament | |
| NOTE on background colors: Continental Games or regional tournament are sometimes also qualifier for World Cup or Olympics; information depends on the source such as the player's federation. NOTE: some keys may not apply for a particular football player | |
| Date | Location | Opponent | Lineup | # | Min | Score | Result | Competition | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2009-03-09[m 1] | Silves |  Iceland | 81. | 1.1 | 36 | 5150.01005 1–0 | 5250.02005 2–0 | Algarve Cup |
2 | 2010-03-01[m 2] | Albufeira |  Finland | 26. | 1.1 | 80 | 5150.02005 2–1 | 5150.02005 2–1 | Algarve Cup |
3 | 2012-09-15[m 3] | Vejle |  Czech Republic | 87. off87' (onTroelsgaard) | 1.1 | 55 | 5150.01005 1–0 | 5150.01005 1–0 | UEFA Championship qualifier |
4 | 2012-06-20[m 4] | St. Pölten |  Austria | Start | 1.1 | 92 | 4850.01005 1–3 | 4850.01005 1–3 | UEFA Championship qualifier |
5 | 2013-06-20[m 5] | Viborg | Iceland | 45. | 1.1 | 34 | 5150.01005 1–0 | 5250.02005 2–0 | Friendly |
6 | 2013-11-24[m 6] | Valletta |  Malta | Start | 2.1 | 26 | 5250.02005 2–0 | 5550.05005 5–0 | Friendly |
7 | 2.2 | 46 | 5450.04005 4–0 | ||||||
8 | 2014-03-20[m 7] | Albufeira |  United States | Start | 1.1 | 35 | 5250.02005 2–0 | 5550.02005 5–3 | Algarve Cup |
9 | 2014-09-13[m 8] | Vejle | Malta | Start | 2.1 | 28 | 5450.04005 4–0 | 5850.08005 8–0 | World Cup qualifier |
10 | 2.2 | 67 | 5750.07005 7–0 | ||||||
11 | 2015-10-22[m 9] | Viborg |  Moldova | Start | 2.1 | 52 | 5450.04005 3–0 | 5850.08005 4–0 | UEFA Championship qualifier |
12 | 2.2 | 89 | 5750.07005 4–0 | ||||||
13 | 2016-03-02[m 10] | Albufeira |  Canada | Start | 1.1 | 55 | 5450.04005 1–0 | 5850.08005 1–0 | Algarve Cup |
14 | 2016-03-04[m 11] | Albufeira | Iceland | Start | 1.1 | 53 | 5450.04005 1–2 | 5850.08005 1–4 | Algarve Cup |
15 | 2016-06-02[m 12] | Viborg |  Slovakia | 46. | 2.1 | 49 | 5450.04005 2–0 | 5850.08005 4–0 | UEFA Championship qualifier |
16 | 2.2 | 60 | 5750.07005 3–0 | ||||||
17 | 2016-09-15[m 13] | Chișinău | Moldova | Start | 2.1 | 3 | 5450.04005 1–0 | 5850.08005 5–0 | UEFA Championship qualifier |
18 | 2.2 | 68 | 5750.07005 4–0 | ||||||
19 | 2016-09-20[m 14] | Viborg |  Sweden | Start | 1.1 | 47 | 5450.04005 2–0 | 5850.08005 2–0 | UEFA Championship qualifier |
20 | 2017-07-30[m 15] | Rotterdam |  Germany | Start | 1.1 | 49 | 5450.04005 1–1 | 5850.08005 2–1 | UEFA Championship |
21 | 2017-08-06[m 16] | Enschede |  Netherlands | Start | 1.1 | 6 | 5450.04005 1–0 | 5850.08005 2–4 | UEFA Championship Final |
22 | 2017-09-19[m 17] | Győr |  Hungary | 83. | 1.1 | 28 | 5450.04005 1–0 | 5850.08005 6–1 | World Cup qualifier |
23 | 2018-01-22[m 18] | San Diego | United States | Start | 1.1 | 14 | 5150.01005 1–0 | 5250.02005 1–5 | Friendly |
24 | 2018-06-08[m 19] | Lviv |  Ukraine | 86. off86' (onSmidt Nielsen) | 2.1 | 6 | 5450.04005 1–0 | 5850.08005 5–1 | World Cup qualifier |
25 | 2.2 | 52 | 5450.04005 3–0 | ||||||
26 | 2018-06-12[m 20] | Viborg | Hungary | Start | 2.1 | 44 | 5450.04005 1–1 | 5850.08005 5–1 | World Cup qualifier |
27 | 2.2 | 45 | 5450.04005 2–1 | ||||||
28 | 2018-08-30[m 21] | Viborg |  Croatia | Start | 1.1 | 90+2 | 5450.04005 1–1 | 5850.08005 1–1 | World Cup qualifier |
29 | 2018-10-09[m 22] | Viborg | Netherlands | Start | 1.1 | 5 | 5450.04005 1–0 | 5850.08005 1–2 | World Cup qualifier play-offs |
30 | 2019-02-27[m 23] | Algarve |  Norway | 87. | 1.1 | 18 | 5150.01005 1–0 | 5250.02005 1–2 | Algarve Cup |
31 | 2019-09-03[m 24] | Ramat Gan |  Israel | 82. | 1.1 | 80 | 5450.04005 2–0 | 5850.08005 3–0 | UEFA Championship qualifier |
32 | 2019-11-12[m 25] | Viborg |  Georgia | 62. | 3.1 | 4 | 5450.04005 1–0 | 5850.08005 14–0 | UEFA Championship qualifier |
– | 3.2 | 26[a] | 5450.04005 4–0 | ||||||
33 | 3.3 | 36 | 5450.04005 8–0 | ||||||
34 | 2020-09-17[m 26] | Zenica |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | Start | 1.1 | 37 | 5450.04005 1–0 | 5850.08005 4–0 | UEFA Championship qualifier |
35 | 2020-09-22[m 27] | Ta' Qali | Malta | 66. | 2.1 | 7 | 5450.04005 2–0 | 5850.08005 8–0 | UEFA Championship qualifier |
36 | 2.2 | 42 | 5450.04005 3–0 | ||||||
37 | 2020-10-27[m 28] | Empoli |  Italy | 72. | 2.1 | 17 | 5450.04005 2–0 | 5850.08005 3–1 | UEFA Championship qualifier |
38 | 2.2 | 47 | 5450.04005 3–0 |
Portland Thorns FC
Manchester City
Paris Saint-Germain
Racing Louisville FC
Denmark
Individual
In July 2019, Nadia Nadim was namedUNESCO Champion for Girls and Women's Education. She received this recognition for her role in promotingsport andgender equality, her contribution to the Organization'seducational action prioritizing young people and advocacy for girls and women'seducation at an international scale, among others.[68][69]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
