Braithwaite Martin
Martin Christensen Braithwaite is a Danish professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Barcelona and the Denmark national team. Mainly a forward, he can also play as a winger. Braithwaite started out in the academy at Sædding-Guldager Idrætsforening (SGI), after which he joined the biggest club in his city, Esbjerg fB. He then spent a short time at FC Midtjylland’s sports academy, before moving back to Esbjerg, signing a three-year youth contract in 2007. During his second stint at the Esbjerg academy, Braithwaite went on trials with both Reggina and Newcastle United. He eventually made his Esbjerg debut in 2009, making 63 Superliga appearances for the club and scoring 12 goals, including nine in the 2012–13 season during which he appeared in every league game for the club. He won the Danish Cup with the club in 2012–13, scoring two goals in the semi-final second leg win over Brøndby IF. Following his impressive displays for Esbjerg in the 2013 Superliga spring season and the Danish Cup he was called up to the Danish national squad in the summer of 2013. At the same time he was being rumoured to be attracting the interest of a number of European clubs including Auxerre, Rennes, Celtic and Hull City. Having already represented several Danish national youth teams, in the summer of 2012 Braithwaite was offered the chance to represent Guyana, being eligible through his Guyanese father. He declined the offer and went on to make his senior debut for the Danish national team in June 2013 in a friendly against Georgia, starting the game and playing the first half. He remained in the squad for the 2014 World Cup qualification match against Armenia. Braithwaite scored his first international goal in his second match in a friendly in August 2013 against Poland. In May 2018 he was named in Denmark’s final 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
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On 20 February 2020, Barcelona triggered Braithwaite’s release clause of €18 million and signed him on a four-and-a-half year contract. His release clause was set to €300 million. Barcelona were granted an emergency exception to sign Braithwaite outside of a transfer window because of the long-term injury of Ousmane Dembélé. Two days after signing, Braithwaite made his debut in a home match against Eibar, coming on as a substitute in the 72nd minute. He assisted the fourth and fifth goals in the 5–0 win, both off deflections. On 13 June 2020, Braithwaite scored his first goal for Barcelona following an assist by Lionel Messi in a 4–0 victory against RCD Mallorca. On 24 November 2020, Braithwaite scored his first two Champions League goals in a 4–0 away win over Dynamo Kyiv, a match in which he also had an assist, in the 2020–21 season. On 2 December, he scored his third goal in the competition in the first half of the match against Ferencváros. On 3 March 2021, he scored the winning goal in a 3–0 win over Sevilla after extra time, to secure Barcelona a place in the 2021 Copa del Rey Final. Braithwaite has a Guyanese father and his younger sister Mathilde (born 2002) plays football for KoldingQ and for Denmark’s U-16 national women’s football team. Braithwaite is the nephew and business partner of the Danish-born, American-based, real estate developer Philip Michael. They co-own real estate in the New York Market and are building a historic high-rise in Jersey City, NJ. Braithwaite is married to French entrepreneur, journalist and TV-personality Anne-Laure Louis Braithwaite. They have two sons together. Braithwaite is also the stepdad of his wife’s 2 children from a previous relationship.
