Martin Ødegaard was born on 17 December 1998 in Drammen, Norway. He joined Strømsgodset's youth setup in 2009 and broke into senior football at just 15, becoming the youngest player ever to appear in the Tippeligaen when he debuted in April 2014. That same season he also became the league's youngest goalscorer, finishing the year with 5 goals and 7 assists in 23 league games.
In January 2015, Real Madrid signed him for an initial €4 million, where he set another record as the club's youngest ever debutant at 16 years and 157 days. After limited first-team opportunities, he developed his game through loan spells at Heerenveen, Vitesse — where he scored 11 goals and was voted player of the year — and Real Sociedad, with whom he won the Copa del Rey in 2019–20.
Arsenal signed him on loan in January 2021 before making the move permanent for an initial £30 million in August of that year. He was appointed club captain in July 2022 and has since established himself as a central figure at the Emirates, earning back-to-back PFA Team of the Year selections in 2022–23 and 2023–24. A creative, technically precise midfielder who drives play through the lines, he recorded 15 league goals and 7 assists in 2022–23 alone.
Ødegaard made his senior international debut for Norway in August 2014, aged 15, setting the record as the country's youngest ever senior international. He has held the national team captaincy since March 2021 and played a key role in Norway qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.