Dr. Nadia Nadim

Dr Nadia Nadim is a professional footballer, doctor and advocate for education, empowerment, and equality. Born in Afghanistan, she fled the Taliban as a 12 year old with her mother and four young sisters after her father was executed. After months on the run, the family ended up at the refugee camp in Aarhus, Denmark.

There, Nadia discovered football – a sport traditionally forbidden for Muslim girls – and her life changed forever. Football became her pathway to success and self-determination; Nadia became the first ever naturalised Danish citizen to represent Denmark’s national team.

Since then, Nadia Nadim has played for top clubs worldwide, including Paris Saint-Germain and Racing Louisville FC, and represented Denmark in international football. She currently played for AC Milan in Italy and has recently qualified for the 2025 UEFA Euros.

Alongside her athletic achievements, she earned a medical degree while maintaining her professional football career, and is now a qualified doctor. She is currently training to be a reconstructive surgeon – work for which Nadia is well equipped because of the compassion and empathy she feels for others who have experienced trauma and tragedy:

“I know the value of helping a person when they have no hope. I’m a walking reminder of that. All the help I was given in my life made me the person I am today. So I really want to offer this help. Someone’s face can be blown up and it’s hard for them to exist. I’m going to give them some of their identity back.”

Nadia is also a well respected TV pundit, and has covered both UEFA Men’s Euros and the FIFA Men’s World Cup for ITV in Britain. In addition, she has also made major work for Al Jazeera and Beln Sport, where she had her own show during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

A passionate humanitarian, Nadia supports refugee rights and works to inspire others through her story of resilience and determination. Nadia has been a UNESCO Ambassador since 2017, where she is the Champion for Girls’ and Women’ Education, and is the only active female ambassador for the FIFA Mens World Cup alongside the likes of David Beckham, Yaya Toure and Tim Cahill.

Nadia Nadim emphasises the importance of education, perseverance, and breaking barriers to achieve one’s dreams. An engaging speaker, Nadia motivates audiences to overcome adversity, embrace their potential, and create meaningful change in their communities and beyond. Nadia’s TedX Talk can be viewed here.

And here she is in conversation talking about her life journey.

Nadia Nadim is a well respected TV pundit, and has covered both UEFA Men’s Euros and the FIFA Men’s World Cup for ITV in Britain. In addition, she has also made major work for Al Jazeera and Beln Sport, where she had her own show during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Nadia is an ambassador for H&M and, alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the face for H&M Move. She was the first Danish female athlete to sign for Nike, and she has also collaborated with the Italian fashion brand Off-White since early 2023. She has also shot campaigns for the likes of Christian Dior and Hugo Boss.

Nadia Nadim speaks 11 languages fluently: Danish, English, German, French, Urdu, Hindi, Dari, Persian, Latin, Swedish and Farsi. She has been a practising Muslim since birth.

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