Nadia Nadim: A Story of Resilience and Success

March 11, 2022
By Joe Weber

Soccer players do not merely exist in an athletic bubble. To understand a player’s accomplishments, a look into their personal history is necessary. Such is the case of Nadia Nadim. Nadim has overcome tremendous personal hardships en route to becoming one of the best female soccer players in the world.

Childhood Tragedy

Nadia Nadim was born in 1988 in Herat, Afghanistan. At the age of 11, the unthinkable happened. Nadim’s father, a general of the Afghan National Army, was executed by the Taliban. As a result, Nadim, her mother, and four sisters fled to Denmark, “My mom sold everything she had. We had found a human smuggler [who] brought us out to Pakistan. And from Pakistan, with fake passports, we were transported to first, Italy, and then kind of trucked [us] to Denmark,”

While in a Denmark refugee camp, Nadim watched a group of girls kicking around a ball. In a moment of unimaginable hardship, Nadim’s passion for soccer was ignited, “That’s the first time I got to see that girls actually did play football at the schools. And right away, I fell in love with the game. Since then, I’ve never really left the ball.”

The Dawning of Brilliance

At the age of 18, Nadim gained Danish citizenship and then played for the Danish national team. In 2009, Nadim made her debut for Denmark at Algarve Cup. Nadim has represented Denmark 73 times and was voted as Denmark’s “Player of the Year” in 2016 and 2017.

Six years after her national debut, Nadim started her professional career. Nadim played for B52 Aalborg Team Viborg (2005- 2006), IK Skovbakken (2006-2012), the Fortuna Hjørring (2012-2015, 2015-2016 on loan).

Teams and Triumphs

After her early professional success, Nadia Nadim pressed forward, becoming a prolific scorer in the NWSL and abroad.

Nadim by the numbers:

Sky Blue FC (2014-2015) Nadim joined Sky Blue for the second half of the 2014 season, scoring seven goals and three assists in six games. Sky Blue rewarded Nadim by offering her a contract for the 2015 season.
Portland Thorns FC (2016-2017) After being traded to Portland, Nadim posted another strong season with nine goals in 20 games finishing the 2016 season as Portland’s top scorer.

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In the 2017 season, Nadim scored four goals and six assists, helping the Thorns to their second NWSL Championship title.

Manchester City (2017-2018) – Nadim played for Manchester City of the FA Women’s Super League.
Paris Saint-Germain (2018-2021) In her stint with Paris Saint-Germain, Nadim scored 21 goals and was named the team’s vice-captain for the 2019–20 season.
Racing Louisville FC (2021 – present) Nadim returned to the NWSL, signing with Racing Louisville FC. After a shortened season due to a knee injury, Nadim is prepping for a successful 2022 campaign.

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Social Impact

Nadia Nadim is finished her medical degree from Aarhus University, Denmark, in 2022, specializing in reconstructive surgery.

Even more impressive, Nadim has pursued her degree while simultaneously playing professional soccer. Nadim is also the face of a fundraising effort to assist refugees from her native Afghanistan.

Nadim’s resilience and determination are shining examples of the fighting spirit, “I’m only 33 years old, but I feel like I’ve lived seven, eight lives. And I feel the way it shaped me is. It’s given me this character, this strength that I have today.”

Featured image via Getty Images