Martin Odegaard: The rise, fall and return of Real Madrid’s ‘Norwegian Messi’

BBC Sport follows the journey of Norwegian footballer Martin Odegaard. From his early days in Norway and high-profile move to Real Madrid in 2015, to his loan spells at SC Heerenveen, Vitesse Arnhem and highly impressive stint at Real Sociedad.
Now that Odegaard is back at the Bernabeu, can the former wonderkid become a success at Real Madrid second time around?
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Martin Odegaard: The rise, fall and return of Real Madrid’s ‘Norwegian Messi’

[@ysteinfjr7529]

I disagree with the title. There was never a "fall", but many impatient people with high and unrealistic expectations

[@KB-lt8xd]

Maybe not in general but compared to other youngsters at the top level he did fall. Mbappe, Haaland, Vinicius, Rodrygo, Ansu and more were great before they turned 19, Odegaard is 21 and only just coming through after he’s been on loan for 3 seasons

[@nish4296]

There was definitely a fall, from being the most talked abt young player in the world to people forgetting him for a while

[@ysteinfjr7529]

@@nish4296 That isn't a fall. That's just people forgetting about him while he is developing as a player.

[@ysteinfjr7529]

@@KB-lt8xd * he didn't live up to the expectations

[@gfarrell434]

Facts

[@msms-nx6dt]

People genuinely wrote him off at 16 17 18 yrs old.Really nice to see that he didn't let it get to him.

[@R3in_Ch]

true. many young talents fell when they got loaned out and not to mention media makes things worse

[@FollowPrincess]

That is what is crazy. How can people "write off" playets that are merely 16, 17 years of age? People are really dumb nowadays, seriously. lol.

[@stevetheiii477]

@@FollowPrincess i think they are spoiled by the instance success messi had so they expect all upcoming talents to rise at the same pace, of course that's an unfair view because messi was nurtured by ronaldinho, xavi, iniesta and ofcourse all time great strikers such as henry and etoo so they expected too much from martin to begin with

[@eteom6466]

@@stevetheiii477 ok but Ansu Fati started strong at 16, Messi didn't even make first team till he turned 17, so what should expectations on him be like? Also Odegaard made national team at 15? Odegaard really was poor by the standards he's set for himself even in a World without Messi during his first loan spell out of Madrid.

[@seanlopez9426]

@@eteom6466 Very good point

[@---op6yf]

Eredivisie is a perfect league for young players to develop

[@joesantana6429]

Bundesliga also he would’ve shined at Dortmund

[@ammardaniel2818]

@@joesantana6429 yeah plus theres haaland there a fellow norwegian and theres a lot of youngsters there so he wouldnt feel out of place like he does in madrid because moat of the players there are hia age

[@Andre_vyent]

inderdaad

[@marchveris]

I agree with this statement. Even Halilovic looked pretty good playing at Eredivisie. Too bad he chose to go to Championship when his football style fits more Eredivisie and La Liga.

[@avgaming4093]

... and somehow also the worst league to purchase (at times) developed players

[@manuelfernando9729]

Now he's blazing the Premier League with Arsenal!!....best of Odegaard is no way near but the samples we have seen is unbelievable

[@FootballQueeny]

The fact that Odegaard did not give up when Real Madrid did not work out immediately, underlines how special he is. At that young age to show such extreme tenacity, confidence and self-belief is extraordinary. Still, this is a worrying example of how damaging the media and the public's resulting expectations can be to a young prodigy's career. Moukoko will likely be its next victim.

[@politicallycorrectredskin796]

Honestly I'm not sure if he even noticed the hype. I used to know the family, and if he's anything like his dad he doesn't fall for hype a lot. I bought two pairs of pants from his granddads clothes store just the other day. Same store since before I was born. Same family house too. They're all just relentlessly normal and unflappable.

[@hsafootballworld1321]

@@politicallycorrectredskin796 Martin Ødegaard er en ydmyk person

[@wille6788]

why would he even have considered ”giving up”? Football is his thing and he was only a kid then, surely not being ready to play for the worlds greatest team at 16 isn’t the end of the world.

[@wille6788]

@@politicallycorrectredskin796 cool to hear. The shop is in Drammen?

[@politicallycorrectredskin796]

@@wille6788 Yes.

[@zhen-jieteoh1771]

my fellow gunners where yall at?

[@suhebelmi606]

here

[@trendingproducts6601]

We're here b

[@juguldalyop2988]

He's coming

[@javishan7660]

yes

[@alexthesb2241]

MÖ thanks for the memories but ITS TIME FOR MØ

[@screwloose18]

Here because of him possibly getting loaned to Arsenal. COYG

[@sheikhmukose715]

me too

[@degenerate8228]

Hope he can handle the physicality and they do not injure him.

[@screwloose18]

@@degenerate8228 yeah it will be interesting to see. I hope the fans are patient with him though. It will take a bit of time to settle

[@manojmungamuri5701]

It’s done.

[@kingcash6128]

Me too

[@hartz9921]

Gonna be an Arsenal legend, can see him getting better year by year until he blows up in his prime.

[@amrihasanulaulian5493]

He reminds me of Ozil and Guti. And all of them are my favourite players. I have faith in Martin.

[@carlylito5828]

IN Martin we trust

[@amrihasanulaulian5493]

@@carlylito5828 true, mate!

[@jonathanwilson9902]

I believe he will shine as well, juss keep playing him week in week out

[@amrihasanulaulian5493]

@@jonathanwilson9902 don't u think a 4-4-2 diamond would fit his playing style perfectly?

[@bjarnemller1118]

@@amrihasanulaulian5493 I think that would work well for him

[@bell4textu973]

Ødegaard was among the highest ranked players in La Liga, last season, when Real Madrid lended him out to Real Socidad. Than Zidane benched him. Long story of enviness from older players. I hope Ødegaard says goodbye to Zidane and Real Madrid for good. The boy has a bright future at Aresnal.

[@cgbgaming9363]

Hes literally great every game at Arsenal

[@mike8631]

Now comes his greatest achievement, he becomes a gunner.

[@Ryan-jd4nb]

Let's hope he fits in like a glove. I'd really want him to succeed with us and enjoy playing in North London. Who knows, maybe if we finish in top 4 he'd want to stay with us.

[@delbee5703]

What a waste at the Gunners

[@rexteryt1275]

@@Ryan-jd4nb I hope he goes back to real cus arsenal sucks if I get toxic reply’s u know the truth when was the last time ur won the prem?

[@mp81488]

@@rexteryt1275 he went back to madrid.... then back to the biggest club in London. Hahaaahhahaahaha

[@manuelfernando9729]

@@mp81488 ...Where is he now mate? .....LOL!!

[@yasheebfaridi2888]

He has been amazing captaining Arsenal and scoring goals and creating chances. 2022-23 and 2023-24 season have been amazing. His assists are magical.

[@lu_be_lurking]

The amount of faith I have in this kid, you'd swear he was my child. So excited to see him eventually become our fulltime No. 10.

[@Jonathan-wk9hl]

He isnt that good. Takes a couple games to see there isnt nothing really special. He is a solid player though.

[@raheemghaffar8850]

Imagining stating that he is better then our Frenkie de jong

[@aqemar950]

@@Jonathan-wk9hl at the age of 21 the term solid is actually pretty good tbh as there still plenty of time to grow

[@user-cg2tb9or2l]

comparing odegaard to de jong is like comparing apples to oranges. Two great players playing different positions

[@User1kgmb]

@@Jonathan-wk9hl u ain’t watching properly then

[@rockyescape8989]

Im a fan of the norwegian international team. The future is bright with Haaland and Odegaard leading the line, Berge solidifying the midfield and Ajer in Defense.

[@danijimenez8883]

Don't forget about Hauge! As a Milán fan he is a joy to watch

[@piercetravers7677]

As a Celtic fan I’ve got to say Ajer Has been our best cb since Virgil Van Dijk.

[@kent-ingestensen5371]

Nice too See that people are actually talking about our national players, not just one player. Which let me tell ya , is very rare for us in the north. Good times ahead!

[@armando1829]

Alexander Sørloth is a young beast as well. So many good players rn

[@uuujjyuliik2807]

@@kent-ingestensen5371vi har jo stefan johansen!🥴😂😂😂

[@JJ-hq3fl]

I watched his first game for Heerenveen. He came on as a substitute on his debut in the 87th minute or something like that. With his first the touch the entirety of the Heerenveen supporters shouted “OOOOHHHH” like a hakka. Amazing.

[@HaroonSamsudeen]

Who else is here after the arsenal links lol

[@Sheikhbum]

He’s here bro Welcome him to London

[@kiranp5611]

He is mostly coming !

[@zodsinclair8500]

Here after the FA Cup Game today... watching this instead of highlights, not hoping for the 2nd coming of Jesus in Jan, but just some quality, some PRECISION....some consistency....#COYG

[@zodsinclair8500]

Aww Crap....learning about th injury record... Arsenal is perfect for him. If he gets injured in La Liga, well the EPL will be a Feast....thin positive thoughts ...gosefraba!!! GooseFraba!

[@raheemy4246]

gooner are the funniest

[@okssezmi1684]

I remember watching Ødegaard sign for Real Madrid. Since we’re both the same age, I could only imagine the pressure he must have felt for not only signing for the biggest club in the world at such a young age, but also subbing in for none other than Cristiano Ronaldo in his debut. The kid’s humble and down to earth character striked me so I knew he would thrive. I continued to follow him and watch his games at Herenveen and Vitesse and was absolutely amazed at how well he matured as a player. When I saw the Madrid had loaned him out to Real Sociedad, I couldn’t have been happier for him, because I knew that he would prove everyone who doubted him first hand. He did it and now he’s going to become an icon at the club who believed in him first. Ödegaards ongoing journey to legend status will be remembered because no other player could rise from the ashes like he did. From prodigy to flop to future star.

[@FollowPrincess]

lol you people are crazy ahaha

[@kingof206]

He seems to have a very mature mentality for his age, I think that it was helped him. A lot of the young players are a bit immature and don’t take it as serious.. why they never become stars.

[@ltlrenati]

Have to agree on that one. Look at Lingard for example. Could've been great, but with such an inmature mentality and no one around to put him in his place, he became a laughing stock in Premier League

[@Stefan_237]

I’m here after Arsenal signed him on a permanent deal thanks Real Madrid for the gem you sold to us💯

[@hillbilly904]

Permanent? He is on loan and his contract expires next summer and he coming home to Madrid tf u talking bout :D

[@aliabdi7882]

@@hillbilly904 we just signed him on permanent dude😭and he's ballin for us thank u Madrid.

[@kwayvldn3682]

@@hillbilly904 you were saying

[@hatorihanso1238]

And now he is in the right team , Go On You Gunners ❤️🙏👍🇳🇴

[@fikrirosadi4737]

GOAT INCOMING

[@ksway8471]

The amount of pressure the media puts on these young athletes is ridiculous, they still have a lot of time

[@Luciferissatan]

He needs game time that’s all. Modric must just leave so that this boy shines. I see him wearing #10 sorry hazard I love you.

[@Jonathan-wk9hl]

He isnt that good sorry to break it to you. Watch riqui puig, pedri (17 years old) , dejong they all bring an instant impact to the field. Watching oddegard he is just another solid touch player but he brings nothing game changing.

[@user-fj4xd7hn7k]

@@Jonathan-wk9hl lol de jong is not better than Odegard, and neither is puig.

[@Jonathan-wk9hl]

@@user-fj4xd7hn7k I cant believe the nonsense you just said.. 😂

[@Jonathan-wk9hl]

@@user-fj4xd7hn7k theres a reason the title is. “The rise & fall” hes average at best nothing special 😂😭

[@christopherpineda8540]

@@user-fj4xd7hn7k de Jong is better lol

[@kraytondsouza]

he is no longer a forgotten prodigy...he is a PRODIGY!

[@lanceong1499]

Hes still young and has infinite potential sad that many have already counted him out this season

[@alistairejacobs5477]

I am no Real Madrid fan but I have to admit that this youngster is really something else..watching him play for Real Sociedad left me in awe of him

[@deveshrout3220]

He has a great future at Madrid.. He's the future of Real Madrid

[@strawhatsgear5th]

He was amazing in the champions league

[@Matsoni85]

No

[@Matsoni85]

He was ait

[@tokdalng]

@@Matsoni85 yes he was

[@tonnmooy]

@@Matsoni85 thats becoz u probably blind..!!

[@sm3thy71]

Like joe mama

[@amartyachatterjee7668]

Exactly,he is an artist and a generational talent But he is so underrated

[@AFCMaharashtra]

Now he is best in epl😍

[@TheSuperTroller]

Awesome to see people haven't forgotten him, as a Strømsgodset supporter living in Drammen, this is huge!

[@footballshorts7118]

Who's here after Arsenal have signed him?

[@kiranp5611]

Not yet wqit !

[@bigswoop5143]

Me 😂

[@acharich]

Yup.. 🔥

[@Lucas-pk3tz]

Who's here after he signed on loan to arsenal?

[@rishabhrastogi17]

its not yet here we go

[@akmalpasha5597]

I hope this guy can be something big in the future!

[@AngelBeatz92]

He will shine and blossom under Arteta. I must say its insane we have been able to secure him on a loan deal. Excited to see him in PL

[@tege15]

Best part, he was never a failed wonderkid. He was just a young guy going to a too big club. He was 15 years when he went there. As soon as he went out on loan to Vitesse he started to become this great footballer, and when he went to Sociedad, he just became alot better. And he is still only 22. This guy still has atleast 10-15 years as a pro

[@andieleta]

This may need a Part 2 later when he's started in EPL for a full season All in all,its great to see a player once labelled as "prodigy" or "wonderkid" slowly shows what he's capable of and here's hoping him to develop more in the future👍

[@njuey]

Lol I just watch Hauge Milan highlights and wondering about Odegaard. This video just popped up 🤣

[@terjefevag2455]

haha. I was thinking about Hauge and then this popped up :)

[@SakayoBukayo]

This guy man❤️❤️❤️❤️ best playmaker in PL.. Our very own David silva

[@Nick-je1ol]

Hes actually very good, let’s hope injuries don’t hold him back

[@sammyboy8636]

He is still improving and is still young. Still has the potential to become among the best in the world.

[@y1521t21b5]

*Was destined for greatness and is getting there.*

[@mzoxolozenani6869]

he's a good footballer odegaard

[@mohammedaliuk]

Well researched and delivered. Nice to see Muddassir Hussain in here too 😀 👍

[@thebernabeard9535]

❤️

[@ethanmanners5156]

He’s got Soo much much talent

[@kiranp5611]

I really wish ødegaard succeeds at Arsenal it doesn't matter if he wants to continue with us or go back. But it will be a fairy tail for him to score goals and assists & register a mark on the premier league !

[@willm3027]

I’m an Arsenal fan and when he signed for Madrid I wasn’t impressed.. would of never imagined

[@roshi98]

He went to Real and they coached the joy of the game out of him and he suffered for it. Get him under a real manager like Klopp who knows how to build young players up and he'll thrive.

[@tamaratamara7600]

💯

[@Dotsetc]

What? Thats such bullshit lol

[@Cesare_Gotti1778]

He's still young ..he has great career ahead of him

[@dorcaswiredu7122]

He played good vs inter Milan

[@DoubleOw7]

This guy is simply amazing

[@lukewiles1]

Young lad is living the dream and working hard. Too much pressure on being the next big ting!

[@DarkWolf-rh7qq]

Look at him now….my captain ♨️ he is a delight to watch

[@Featzgearaldous]

You can do it!

[@bashirjuwara218]

We have a long season today, I believe Odegaard will deliver BIG

[@RjA04]

Now he’s at Arsenal. COYG ❤️

[@rogerskiyingi336]

Meanwhile, he's glueing arsenal back to the top with assists and goals.

[@saintbervon]

Here After Arsenal announced him this Afternoon.

[@hsafootballworld1321]

Martin Ødegaard mist try to dribble more. He has a great technique. But he should try more 1v1. He has the ability to glide past players,

[@zakoid1]

He was always a buy for the future. Players are like anybody, imagine the pressure and fame at such a young age. I don't think he 'fell', he went on loan to develop. That's a natural thing.

[@bjarnemller1118]

He didn't 'fall' in the eyes of those who know he needed time to develop, but it's well known he struggled with injury and his first spell in Holland he didn't perform to the standards people were used to seeing with Odegaard. The 'fall' rightly refers to the period which was tough for him, which every player goes through in their early career.

[@simonjohansson9999]

And soon he's a gooner

[@MiguelMartinez-zh9qo]

I hope he finally gets his chance with Madrid he’s a great talent and a great kid

[@teguhsuwondo2520]

The hype it's good. Will see if he can adapt to harsh world of PL

[@feminelson26]

... a pure creator, intelligent and unselfish. Dude will go places if he shoots more at goal, works hard, and stays humble. By not allowing themselves to be intimidated by the arrogance and incompetence of Ozil and the signings of Partey, Odeegard and Ryan, arsenal seem to have finally worn their thinking cap!

[@MichaelScott69]

There's no fall. He is still young and he'll be great for us.

[@Andre-tu3km]

He seems like he has the right attitude to succeed

[@DatsNang]

Real Madrid fans booed Ronaldo so imagine what they would to Ødegaard

[@CamoKKing]

And now he is an Arsenal player🤩

[@sbongadlamini388]

This boy is very good

[@wholelottaconformity]

He started today in the ucl lol

[@ghshady3497]

And was brilliant in the game

[@carlylito5828]

@@ghshady3497 What a debut

[@2004HondaCivic.]

@@ghshady3497 thanks bro I’m trying my hardest 🙏

[@A1un9ine]

@@2004HondaCivic. no way it is odegaard

[@bryamvasquez3057]

@@A1un9ine no shit sherlock😂

[@SimplyJackox]

“There’s a good chance he’ll become a legend at Real Madrid” he’d just be another player to Madrid. You have to be the absolute best to get legendary status at Madrid, very slim chance if any.

[@JustSno_]

His still very young plus we haven’t forgot about him , we know his a talent

[@farzeenahmed7471]

He is worth 60 million and is just 21

[@shinasuka1799]

Now ODEGAARD is Arsenal future legend #COYG

[@thedarknike6598]

He was arguably the best player in Spain last season and now is the best player on the field every time he plays

[@MrVikingdane]

Just watching how his football brain works on the pitch I’m not worried about this boy at all !

[@kurudaki]

Ladies and gentlemen ....we got em *music rolls*

[@CeltHDfifa]

Must be hard for him to play for Madrid right now and feel like he needs to perform in a team that is struggling on every part of the pitch, when he should be settling in and using this season to get to know his teammates.

[@omarruiz4542]

I always keep him on fifa 20...wicked left food shot

[@harryrs5273]

Madrid has a lot of young talent in the squad let's see who will shine and who will fall

[@sameinstein5991]

I always use him in PES. I really love him.😍

[@Waffles1995]

This is what happens when you hype up a young player, pressure of living up to expectations gets to them

[@bgrasta1048]

The correct title for this young man. He is excelling in Arsenal. We will win the league because of this guy.

[@mysteryman9641]

If he becomes the player he should have become at Arsenal with their young talent right now (Saka, Smith Rowe & others) that is going to be really amazing and special for that club.

[@kent-ingestensen5371]

Should of gone to Ajax! Literally said this when he was hot in the market at Strømsgodset. But he’s still very young. So most likely he will have his shine one day.

[@tbg9563]

Get In We Got Him Hopefully, We Can Keep Him

[@lolcopexx]

No

[@lelouchvibritannia5408]

More like ' The return of the king '

[@tharcisse7103]

The fact he's a CAM is a problem. It's become difficult for coaches to play CAM's in today's game, hence the fall of players like Isco, Ozil, Dybala... and why De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Luis Alberto... have been turned into CM's. If Odegaard wants to play, he'll need to be more complete like Modric or Valverde. If not, Zidane will keep the midfield 3 of Casemiro, Kroos/Valverde and Modric.

[@sergionegretej.5758]

He'll eventually take the role when Modric retires

[@tharcisse7103]

@@sergionegretej.5758 Hopefully

[@ritchhh-6806]

As a Heerenveen fan it hurts me to hear people talking about him being bad or disappointing because that's absolutely not true. His first half year he was adjusting but still a good player and after that he was basically the player that got the team going. He was amazing and without him we would've been fighting to avoid relegation with the squad we had. So it's really misleading because he hasn't had a "fall", people are just expecting him to develop way too quick because he was so incredibly young when he came up.

[@debojitmukherjee8076]

There was never a fall, he is still young and he performed well in loan spells

[@jarvismarvis8900]

I hate when this happens to the young players the best players like bale giggs robben never had pressure on them they was able to improve slow

[@tayoakingold104]

And now he is @ Arsenal. Cheers Madrid

[@isaacmcquown]

everyone who plays FIFA mobile knows he is actually one of the best.

[@gavin2915]

Så jævlig stolt i ham❤🇳🇴

[@RB-hz2bf]

I don’t get why the title says fall or why people are saying he’s a flop he’s developed really well.

[@conebone_69]

The prodigy missed one block of the puzzle - North London🔥

[@gambianatv5593]

He should have gone to Dortmund where the youngsters are developed.

[@Mhvn1987]

You meant Ajax? Would also have been in the league where he made his developments and ''comeback''.

[@mangolassi5273]

@@Mhvn1987 nah dortmund way better

[@nikz200]

Odegaard should come play in Liverpool under klopp

[@tamaratamara7600]

#REALTALK

[@LucaHaranFilm]

And he should be at the gunners soon 💪🔥

[@arjitjere1559]

Great one to WAtch after seeing him close to join arsenal!